RCB to Announce New Captain but it May Not be Virat Kohli; Who's Frontrunner?

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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is set to announce their new captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on February 13. The announcement will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network at 11:30 AM IST. With Virat Kohli unlikely to take up the leadership role again, speculation is rife about who will be handed the reins.

Despite being the most experienced player in the squad, Virat Kohli is reportedly not interested in resuming captaincy duties. Sources revealed that Kohli, who had discussions with RCB's management during the leadership transition, expressed a preference to focus on his batting and support the new captain instead.

According to CricBlogger, Kohli has ruled out leading any team at this stage of his career, making it clear that he is stepping away from all captaincy responsibilities.

RCB was initially hopeful about Kohli's return as captain and even based their auction strategy on this expectation. However, with his firm decision to decline the role, the franchise now looks within the existing squad for a new leader.

Rajat Patidar Leads Race; Krunal Pandya Also in Contention

Among the potential candidates, Rajat Patidar has emerged as the leading contender. The 30-year-old showcased his leadership potential by guiding Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, where they finished as runners-up.

Patidar's impressive performance as captain, along with his consistent batting form, has caught RCB's attention. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, amassing 428 runs in nine innings.

Krunal Pandya is another strong candidate. With proven leadership experience as the captain of Baroda and a stint with Lucknow Super Giants, Krunal is highly regarded by RCB's management. The franchise values his tactical acumen and has included him in their leadership plans for some time.

Other names under consideration include Devdutt Padikkal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. While Padikkal is relatively inexperienced as a captain, Bhuvneshwar has led in patches but never on a full-time basis.

RCB's Director of Cricket Mo Babat, Head Coach Andy Flower, and key franchise representatives are expected to be present at the special media gathering for the announcement. There is also a possibility of mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik attending, as he played a crucial role in the leadership discussions.