IPL 2025: Rajat Patidar to Rely Heavily on Virat Kohli’s Expertise in Captaincy, Comments Robin Uthappa | Cricket News

IPL 2025: Leadership Dynamics at RCB and Delhi Capitals: Insights from Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa, a former Indian cricketer, has provided valuable insights into the leadership scenario at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2025. Uthappa anticipates that Rajat Patidar, who is set to helm RCB, will heavily rely on the captaincy acumen of Virat Kohli while managing the challenges of leading a team alongside such an iconic cricket figure.

Patidar, making his debut as an IPL team captain, boasts experience leading Madhya Pradesh to the final of the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Axar Patel, also stepping into the limelight, will be leading Delhi Capitals as their full-time captain for the first time in IPL.

Uthappa remarked, “When comparing Axar Patel and Rajat Patidar, I sense Axar might have a slight advantage due to the familiar faces in the Delhi side. Rajat, however, faces the additional task of managing the presence of Virat Kohli’s superstardom. Nonetheless, Rajat is positioned uniquely to advance RCB’s legacy. His domestic leadership performance has been commendable, and now the challenge lies in translating that success to the IPL stage.”

With RCB restructuring their pace attack to include Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam, alongside retained players Yash Dayal and Josh Hazlewood, and new additions Lungi Ngidi and Nuwan Thushara, they are poised for a dynamic season. Uthappa, an IPL champion with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, anticipates that both Axar and Patidar will need strategic prowess to optimize home advantage in traditionally high-scoring venues like M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“The real test will be harnessing home conditions to RCB’s advantage. Bengaluru’s high-scoring nature demands bowlers to undertake rigorous preparation. Yet, with the right fast-men in place, staying injury-free will be crucial for RCB’s success,” Uthappa elaborated.

Addressing Delhi Capitals, Uthappa recommended that KL Rahul should open the batting, emphasizing his ability to dominate opposition bowlers early in the innings. “Deploying KL elsewhere would not do justice to his prowess. Few in global cricket boast such explosive potential against a new ball,” he commented, highlighting Rahul’s value at the top order alongside Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk.

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