Rajat Patidar’s captaincy changed the fortune of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from the chokers tag to being crowned the new champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), ending their 18-year title drought.
Ahead of this season, RCB qualified for the IPL playoffs on nine occasions (between 2009 and 2024). Out of which, they sealed their berth in the final in three editions (2009, 2011, and 2016), but concluded as runner-up each time.
However, Rajat became the sixth Indian captain in IPL history after MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Hardik Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer to lift the prestigious trophy.
The 32-year-old with his calm and aggressive approach believed that his leadership could rewrite history only by breaking a few jinxes that have haunted the franchise for years.
Starting with his captaincy debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the season opener, let’s take a look at the notable achievements of Patidar in IPL 2025 that steered RCB to claim their maiden championship title.
Improving RCB’s Track Record in IPL Season Opener
Rajat Patidar’s stint as RCB captain started on a high note by enhancing his team’s track record in season openers. Under his captaincy, the Royal Challengers secured a dominating victory against KKR in the IPL 2025 opening clash at the Eden Gardens.
It is to be noted that Bengaluru lost the season opener to Kolkata back in the inaugural season in 2008.
Till the 2024 edition, RCB appeared in 4 season openers, but achieved their only victory against the Mumbai Indians back in 2021.
Here is how RCB’s performance in the IPL 2025 curtain raiser improved compared to the tournament’s opening matches in previous editions:
Season | RCB Captain | RCB’s Outcome in Season Opener | Opponent Team in Season Opener | Venue |
2008 | Rahul Dravid | Lost by 140 Runs | Kolkata Knight Riders | M.Chinnaswamy Stadium |
2019 | Virat Kohli | Lost by 7 Wickets | Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
2021 | Virat Kohli | Won by 2 Wickets | Mumbai Indians | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
2024 | Faf du Plessis | Lost by 6 Wickets | Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
2025 | Rajat Patidar | Won by 7 Wickets | Kolkata Knight Riders | Eden Gardens |
Ending Winless Streak At Opponent Team’s Homeground
Rajat Patidar’s composed demeanor on the field helped RCB end the years of winless streak at their opponent team’s homeground, which includes these notable victories:
First Win at Chepauk Against Chennai Super Kings After 17 Years:
Chepauk, the fortress of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was breached by multiple teams in IPL 2025. But, for the unversed, RCB was the first team that laid the foundation by securing a massive 50-run victory at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against CSK after 17 years.
It was in 2008 when Bengaluru, under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy, secured a victory at this venue. Since then, no other captains, including Virat Kohli managed to defeat CSK at their fortress. Finally, it was Rajat Patidar who broke the RCB’s losing jinx at Chepauk (Super Kings’ homeground).
RCB Matches at Chepauk vs CSK | Winnings | First Victory (IPL Season) | Recent Victory (IPL Season) | Years Taken to End Winless Streak |
10 | 2 | 2008 | 2025 | 17 Years |
Concluding a 9-Year Winless Streak at Wankhede Against Mumbai:
A 12-run victory against the Mumbai Indians helped the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to conclude their 9 years of losing streak at the Wankhede Stadium by defending a 221-run total.
Previously, RCB won at MI’s homeground under Virat Kohli’s captaincy back in 2015. Since then, the team has lost its six matches to Mumbai at this venue.
Also, this was the first time when RCB successfully defended a target below 235 against MI at Wankhede.
A Victory Against Delhi Capitals At Arun Jaitley Stadium After 7 Years:
A stunning 6-wicket win against Delhi Capitals ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 7-year winless streak at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The team’s last victory at this venue came in 2018 under Virat’s leadership, and since then, they have lost two matches there in 2019 and 2023.
Won All League Stage Matches in IPL 2025 at the Opponent Team’s Homeground
RCB became the first team in IPL history to win all the league-stage matches at the opponent team’s homeground. Although Rajat Patidar and his men had a bag of results mixed with wins and losses at home, they have dominated in away matches. The following table illustrates the detailed outcome of RCB away from home:
RCB’s Outcome | Opponent Team | Opponent Team Homeground |
Won by 7 Wickets | Kolkata Knight Riders | Eden Gardens |
Won by 50 Runs | Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) |
Won by 12 Runs | Mumbai Indians | Wankhede Stadium |
Won by 9 Wickets | Rajasthan Royals | Sawai Mansingh Stadium |
Won by 7 Wickets | Punjab Kings | Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium, Mullanpur |
Won by 6 Wickets | Delhi Capitals | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
Won by 6 Wickets | Lucknow Super Giants | Ekana Cricket Stadium |
Despite Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost a game to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 42 runs at the Ekana stadium, it would be considered a neutral venue. This is because the game was initially scheduled to be played at RCB’s homeground, but was relocated at the last minute due to harsh weather conditions.
Reducing Too Much Dependence on the Top Three Batters
Those were the days when Royal Challengers Bengaluru heavily relied on their top-order batters, namely Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers. Once these three batters got out, the disappointed fans either switched off their TVs or walked away from the stadium.
In contrast to the previous editions, all 10 batters of RCB compiled 50+ runs in IPL 2025, thereby becoming the first team in the league’s history to achieve the remarkable feat.
Huge Firepower in the Bowling Department
RCB’s bowling department has turned out to be the precious gem of the season with the trio of pacers, namely Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal, tallying 50+ wickets for the team. This is such kind of firepower the franchise has failed to achieve in their previous IPL campaigns. Previously, the bowling line-up was used as meme content by several social media users to gain popularity.
Considering the death-overs performance, Bengaluru’s economy has been tremendous, conceding 10.23 runs per over, which is the second most after Mumbai Indians’ tally of 10.22.
Playoff Domination and Road to Title Triumph
Ahead of this season, Bengaluru advanced into the Qualifier 2 twice (in 2015 and 2022) and the Eliminator thrice (in 2020, 2021, and 2024), but choked up each time by facing an exit. Also, they secured a loss and a win in Qualifier 1 back in 2011 and 2016, each.
Unlike the previous seasons, where RCB lost in the playoffs, the Rajat Patidar-led team defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 to secure a direct berth in the final.
Ultimately, a 6-run thrilling victory over PBKS in the final helped RCB change their reputation from underachievers to title winners.
Kudos to the Royal Challengers’ bowling attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Krunal Pandya, which was more effective than their previous edition finals in restricting their opponent from chasing the required target.
