Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower hailed captain Rajat Patidar for excelling in a tricky job.
“One of the most impressive things about Rajat is that he has not been affected by captaincy. He is still the lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He has not changed at all in that regard,” Flower said in the press conference after RCB emerged as the IPL 2025 champion.
“I cast my mind back to how poorly I captained when I was his age. I’ve got tremendous respect for how he handled himself with all that scrutiny, and captaining some big players.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, and other team members during their felicitation ceremony after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 04, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, and other team members during their felicitation ceremony after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 04, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
MURALI KUMAR K / The Hindu
“You cannot underestimate the calmness that he showed in leading some really big players, in a really big franchise. Rajat made good decisions in the middle under pressure. I have got tons of respect for him. I am proud of the way that he carried himself,” Flower added.
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Phil Salt’s splendid catch to dismiss Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya was a turning point in the final, Flower said.
“That was an outstanding catch, wasn’t it? It was a perfect example of someone holding his nerve under pressure. He only got back from England at 3 o’clock this morning (Salt had made a quick visit to England to witness the birth of his child). The catch was a turning point,” said the RCB coach.
