Virat Kohli Unlikely to be Next RCB Captain for IPL 2025; New Captain to be Named on 13th February

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign approaches fast, the suspicion on who will be next Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain for the IPL 2025 still remains in the air. But we could be finally getting a name on 13th February.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally parted ways with captain Faf du Plessis ahead of the IPL 2025 season after the South African led the side in the previous 3 season. Faf du Plessis was brought in as captain from IPL 2022 season after Virat Kohli stepped down from the position after IPL 2021 season.

Now that Faf du Plessis is not available with the franchise, many fans expected that Virat Kohli might be back to leading the team until RCB finds a long-term captain.

However, according to various reports, star Indian batter Virat Kohli is unlikely to be named the captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The franchise is set to announce the name of the captain during a live telecast on Star Sports Network and live streaming on Disney+Hotstar from 11:30 P.M Indian Standard Time (IST).

Who will be RCB captain in IPL 2025?

There is much debate about who will lead the franchise in the IPL 2025. There is still chances that Virat Kohli it is but it will very much depend on the star Indian batter himself whether he wants to get back to leading the team.

Virat Kohli led the franchise between 2013 and 2021 after taking over from Daniel Vettori. Under his leadership, although RCB failed to win a title, they in-fact won 66 matches and lost 70 while Virat Kohli displayed some of his greatest IPL seasons ever, scoring 4994 runs as the captain in 143 matches.

Some other names being discussed and probably the most likely candidate in Rajat Patidar. Patidar led Madhya Pradesh in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Under his leadership, Madhya Pradesh finished in 2nd place in Group A and went as far as the semi-finals where they unfortunately lost against Delhi.

Patidar himself had a great season where he scored 428 runs with a strike rate of 186.09 and average of 61.14 showcasing that he didn’t any leadership pressure at all. He is still 31-years-old and could lead the team for next 4-5 season.

The other options available includes experienced pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has joined the team from Sunrisers Hyderabad this season. Bhuvi has great experience of leading the SRH franchise in the IPL and is certainly a great candidate, but he would be more a short-term option.

There are some more newcomers who can take the leadership mantle but you doubt whether the franchise would put someone to lead the franchise who has just joined ahead of this season. Your best fit thus are Rajat Patidar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in-case Virat Kohli don’t.