March 19, 2025: As Rajat Patidar prepares to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2025, veteran AB de Villiers shared his thoughts on the leadership challenge ahead of the season’s opening match. In a conversation with Jio Hotstar, de Villiers acknowledged the pressure Patidar would face stepping into the shoes of former captains like Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and himself.
Patidar, who was announced as the new RCB captain last month, has prior captaincy experience with Madhya Pradesh, leading them to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy finals. However, de Villiers believes Patidar’s biggest challenge will be overcoming the insecurity of following such accomplished leaders.
“I think his biggest challenge will be insecurity—stepping into the big boots of past captains like Faf and Virat. Having Virat around and constantly doubting yourself, ‘Am I doing the right thing? What would Virat do?’—that, I think, is his biggest obstacle,” said de Villiers.
To help Patidar navigate these challenges, de Villiers offered some advice. He encouraged the young captain to trust his own instincts, reminding him that he was chosen for a reason. Rather than trying to imitate his predecessors, Patidar should focus on leading in his unique style while leveraging the experience of figures like Kohli and coach Andy Flower.
“The way to overcome it is to constantly remind yourself, ‘Why am I in this position? Why did they pick me?’ There must be a good reason for it. It’s time for me to trust it and stay true to who I am—not try to captain like Virat or Faf, but to lead in my way. He should use the experience of Virat, Andy Flower, and other senior players but always stay true to himself. That, to me, would be the best advice for Patidar,” de Villiers added.
The Impact Player Rule and its Influence on IPL
De Villiers also weighed in on the Impact Player Rule and its effects on the IPL. He believes the rule has drastically changed the dynamics of the game, particularly for top-order batters who now have the freedom to take more risks in the powerplay. However, de Villiers also expressed concerns about the fairness of the rule, especially for bowlers.
“The impact player rule has changed the game a lot. As we have seen from some players’ comments, it frees up the top three batters—they can take more risks. In a way, it feels a bit unfair, and I’ve shared some criticism about that. Fielding restrictions allowing only two fielders outside the ring, along with the added freedom for top-order batters, make things complicated for the bowlers. But it is exciting for the batters. We might just see that 300-run mark breached in this IPL season,” de Villiers noted.
RCB’s IPL 2025 Opener
Royal Challengers Bangalore will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with a match against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, March 22, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.