Saba Karim sees shades of Dhoni and Rohit in Rajat Patidar’s captaincy as RCB clinch back-to-back IPL titles

Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed a historic second consecutive IPL title on Sunday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The defending champions defeated Gujarat Titans in their home ground by five wickets with their icon Virat Kohli at the heart of it. Former Indian selector Saba Karim highlighted captain Rajat Patidar’s influence and drew comparison with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, the two greatest captains the league has seen over the years.

Patidar became only the third captain after Dhoni and Rohit to win back-to-back titles and etched his name in IPL record books. Speaking on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live, Karim pointed to Patidar’s remarkable rise as the leader of RCB’s back-to-back championship win. “One of the biggest reasons behind RCB winning a second consecutive title has been the clarity around individual roles within the team, and Rajat Patidar deserves a lot of credit for that,” he said.

Drawing comparison with Dhoni and Rohit, the former Indian wicketkeeper said, “When we talk about captains who have led teams to consecutive titles, names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma come up, and I can see similarities in the way Rajat Patidar leads this team.” Patidar took over the captaincy from Du Plessis in the 2025 season and the rest is history. He has a 70% winning record as a captain of RCB where he won 19 out of 27 matches and delivered the two titles during this period.

What makes the achievement all the more striking is the path Patidar walked to reach this point. He arrived as a replacement player in the 2024 season, and eventually inherited the captaincy of a dressing room that included Virat Kohli among its many world-class names. Earning authority in that environment without international experience is remarkable and pointing this out, Karim noted, “ For someone without international experience, earning respect in a dressing room filled with world-class players, including Virat Kohli, is not easy. Rajat earned that respect through consistent performances.”

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Another influential figure and the leader of RCB’s bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, reflected on the team’s development during the interaction in the post-match show. Kumar praised the younger bowlers for their hunger to grow. “Their willingness to learn, their dedication, and the effort they put into improving are what ultimately make the difference,” he said, “They’ve not only learned from experienced players in the group but also from someone like Josh Hazlewood and the coaching staff.”