RCB's next IPL captain revealed by Mo Bobat [Source: AFP]When RCB removed Faf du Plessis as the team captain, many felt the franchise might revert to Virat Kohli for the designation, but the side made a bold move ahead of IPL 2025. The defending champions appointed Madhya Pradesh batter, Rajat Patidar to become the new captain, and the decision was met with mixed reviews.Patidar had little experience in leading a team, and RCB suddenly became a laughing stock as many felt the team would fail to deliver the goods under his leadership. However, Patidar led a remarkable turnaround as he became the first RCB captain to help them win an IPL title (2025 season).In the subsequent campaign (2026), RCB entered the tournament as the defending champions, and he once again led from the front as the side defended their championship by beating the Gujarat Titans.Despite Patidar’s immense success as the RCB captain, the franchise has already started to plan for the future. Patidar is 33 and is not getting any younger as the team is aiming to groom his future successor.Mo Bobat reveals Patidar's RCB successorRecently, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, gave an insight into the franchise’s future plans, as he hinted about Patidar’s potential captaincy successor. The Englishman revealed that Devdutt Padikkal, the left-handed Karnataka batter, impressed everyone in the team management, and he has all the tools to become a future captain.Speaking in a video 'RCB's Trophy Quest - The Second' uploaded on the team’s YouTube channel, Bobat said:"We wanted him to really push the boundaries of his intent, and to really deliver an impact. We had Salty and Virat going pretty hard at the top, and we wanted Dev to continue that momentum when he came to the crease. And to his credit, he's totally bought into that and embraced that.And he's batted very selflessly, and I think that's huge credit to Dev. I've also been really impressed with him as a character. I think he's very leaderful, actually. I think he's a potential captain of the future."Why RCB is looking at Padikkal as Patidar's successorThe Royal Challengers Bengaluru is an IPL team from Bengaluru city, and Padikkal is a local boy. He represents Bengaluru, and embodies it.Also Read: Virat Kohli Till IPL 2030? RCB Stars Who Could Pay The PricePadikkal, just like Rajat Patidar, is a cool and calm customer, and T20 captaincy demands such traits. Moreover, RCB’s batting coach and mentor, Dinesh Karthik, revealed why the franchise is looking at Padikkal as the future captain."He's been an extraordinary performer. First, he's the only one in this team having the pleasure of being a local.He represents Bengaluru. And he's a thorough Bengaluru man. He embodies it. He's able to assess and understand game situations exceedingly well for a man of his age," said Karthik.RCB fans witnessing Padikkal 2.0Padikkal made his IPL debut for RCB in 2020, and he represented them for two seasons. He slammed 473 and 411 runs, respectively, in the first two campaigns for them, but the strike rate was always questionable, and as a result, the left-handed batter was released in 2022.He then represented the Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants, but RCB came calling in 2025, and Padikkal had a homecoming.In the last two seasons, the Karnataka batter has been a rejuvenated batter and his strike rate has also shot up (168.73) in IPL 2026, as the southpaw played a key role in RCB’s title wins in 2025, and 2026.The 25-year-old has become an integral member of the squad, and has cemented his place at the number 3 spot.Also Read: Pakistan Cricketer Declares Wife Openly Supports India
