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Rajat Patidar has proved his leadership qualities, winning his second title with Royal Challengers Bangalore as captain in two consecutive seasons. From being just a replacement batsman to becoming the trophy-winning leader of the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it has never been so easy for him.
While the league has become home to many young stars, Rajat Patidar is now 33, and probably has only a few seasons left for him to reach his peak. Ahead of the IPL 2027 season, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobt hinted at who could be their next captain, the successor to their great captain.
Mo Bobat is influenced by Devdutt Padikkal
Mo Bobt praised Devdutt Padikkal, who also played his part with the bat in RCB’s victory in the 2026 season. As Virat Kohli performed as an opening batsman throughout the season, Devdutt Padikkal cemented his place at number three in the playing combination.
Padikkal, mostly known for his tenacious batting skills and an experienced campaigner in the Ranji Trophy, increased his strike rate during the last season with RCB. As the team’s No. 3 batsman, Devdutt Padikkal scored 464 runs at a strike rate of 168.72 in 15 innings in the IPL 2026 season.
Devdutt Padikkal has cemented his place as the number 3 batsman
Bobat said that with Virat and Phil Salt at the top of the batting order, an explosive start was guaranteed for them. One down position was a matter of concern for them and Devdutt Padikkal lived up to the expectations by playing some pure attacking innings.
“We wanted him to really push the boundaries of his intentions, and really make an impact. We had Salty (Salt) and Virat working really hard at the top, and we wanted Dev (Padikkal) to keep that momentum going when he came to the crease.”
“And to his credit, he completely bought into it and embraced it. And he batted very unselfishly, and I think that’s a huge credit to Dev,” Mo Bobt, speaking on the ‘RCB’s Trophy Quest’ documentary on the team’s official YouTube channel, said.
Who will be the next captain of RCB after Rajat Patidar?
The next part of the video got more interesting as the franchise’s director of cricket dropped hints about Rajat Patidar’s successor. Praising Padikkal, Mo Bobt mentioned the batsman as someone who has leadership qualities.
“I’m also really impressed with him as a character. I think he’s really a great leader. I think he’s a potential future captain,” Bobat said. Due to his age and being one of the loyal members of the current RCB squad, Padikkal fits the role if the team management considers him as their next captain.
Bengaluru mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik admitted that being a local cricketer in the city, Devdutt Padikkal is famous among the fans, and he is also an exceptional performer.
He has been an extraordinary artist. First of all, he’s the only one on this team who’s enjoying being a local. He represents Bengaluru. And he is a complete Bengaluru man. He embodies it. He is able to assess and understand game situations very well for a person of his age.