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Virat Kohli has been an inspiration to many over the years and his influence inside the dressing room is equally powerful. Recently, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar has opened up about his admiration for Virat Kohli during the ongoing IPL 2026.
The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, were the first team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs, and captain Patidar played a key role as both a leader and batsman. Patidar, who led RCB to the title for the first time last year, has so far scored 337 runs in the ongoing IPL 2026 at an average of 33.70 and an explosive strike rate of around 193.
Rajat Patidar calls Virat Kohli his biggest idol
After taking RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 points table, Rajat Patidar has revealed that former India captain Virat Kohli is still his biggest idol in the game. The captain also spoke about what makes Kohli special and admitted that his energy on the field is the thing he likes the most.
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Patidar also clarified that there is nothing about Kohli that he dislikes, which shows the immense respect he has for the RCB icon. Ahead of the RCB vs SRH game on 22 May, Patidar was quoted by Sportstar as saying: “I like his energy. There’s nothing I don’t like. He’s my idol.”
Rajat Patidar names Jasprit Bumrah and Sunil Narine as toughest bowlers
He also named those bowlers who are most difficult to face. Without any hesitation, the Madhya Pradesh star named India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and West Indies’ mystery spinner Sunil Narine as the two toughest bowlers to bowl.
The Indian batsman is currently handling the huge responsibility of leading one of the most loved IPL franchises, RCB – it has been led by stalwarts like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli in the past. But instead of copying any former captain, Patidar wants to create his own style of leadership.
At the same time, former South African captain Faf du Plessis has played a big role in shaping his captaincy mentality. The batsman revealed that he learned a lot from the way the former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain treated every player in the team and made everyone feel important.
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Rajat Patidar wants to make his mark as RCB captain
The RCB captain said, “It was important not to copy any predecessors. But there was one thing I was very impressed by about Du Plessis: the way he talked and the importance he gave to each player. He was confident; his body language conveyed authority on the field.”
Rajat Patidar also praised former Madhya Pradesh coach Chandrakant Pandit. The batsman shared that the former KKR head coach taught him how seriously one should study and prepare for the match before stepping on the field. He said that the lessons he learned from Pandit helped him grow not only as a cricketer but also as a captain.
He signed off by saying, “Chandu sir taught me how carefully you can prepare for the game of cricket and how deeply you can study it. He played for 20 years and then coached for 20 years. His tactical prowess was an eye-opener for me.”