IPL 2025 Final: For RCB, unlikely captain Rajat Patidar's moment to shine

Ahmedabad: On December 15 last year at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, chants of ‘RCB! RCB!’ during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 finale seemed woefully out of place. Mumbai squared up against Madhya Pradesh, with MP’s skipper Rajat Patidar being the only RCB connection. Patidar’s unbeaten 40-ball 81 was overshadowed by Shreyas Iyer and his men’s fivewicket title triumph. A little over five months later, the duo is back as captains in the IPL’s final countdown. On Monday, the eve of the final, Patidar and Iyer sat on either side of the trophy, strung together by the commonality of their respective teams, RCB and Punjab Kings, chasing an elusive maiden title. The similarity between the duo probably ends there.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Before the start of the previous domestic season, Patidar hadn’t led at the senior level, ever. Who would have imagined that Patidar, with a little help from his deputy Jitesh Sharma, would lead RCB, which has always been helmed by superstars of the sport, would find himself having a shot to history.In sharp contrast, Iyer, both as a captain and player, is a man of many accomplishments. He was skipper when Kolkata Knight Riders were crowned champions last season and led Delhi Capitals to the 2020 title contest. Who's that IPL player?
Patidar, the captaincy armband notwithstanding, is a subdued persona, but his Mumbaikar counterpart doesn’t shy away from pulling up his players on the field or showing who the boss is. Their contrast spills over to their confidence in public speaking as well. While Patidar is still learning the ropes, Iyer has mastered the art of fielding questions with assurance and aplomb.“No one can deny the expectations. For me, it’s important to be in the present. I always look at what is in my hands, what we can control. So, I always believe in controlling the controllables,” said the middle-order batter, who turned 32 on Sunday. Patidar is light on captaincy experience but is backed by a think-tank which has relied heavily on performance rather than star value. Will that be enough for RCB’s fourth shot at the title to finally bear fruit or will Iyer lift the trophy again, this time to end Punjab’s 17-year wait?