IPL 2025 | Coach Flower heaps praise on RCB skipper Patidar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s captain Rajat Patidar didn’t allow the pressure of leading stalwarts likes Virat Kohli affect him and exuded calmness according to coach Andy Flower.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 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 Bangaluru captain Rajat Patidar with the IPL 2025 Trophy after beating Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Tuesday, May 03, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

“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 really proud of the way that he carried himself,” Flower said.

Flower explained that RCB’s auction strategy was sound, despite the initial criticism. “We copped some flak after the first day of the auction. People thought that we were investing our money rather than spending it.

“But it meant that there was some really good value to be had on the second day. We got guys like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal (Pandya), Tim David and Romario Shepherd all on that second day. So that was really important,” Flower said.

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,” Flower said.