Former India batter Mohammad Kaif admitted that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) caught him off guard with the appointment of Rajat Patidar as there new captain. Earlier this week, RCB named Patidar as their new captain ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Kaif suggested that the move was a bit surprising as he thought Kohli would be the one to lead RCB, especially after the franchises decided not to retain Faf du Plessis, who led the team for three seasons.
Speaking in a video uploaded on X, Kaif pointed out that Kohli might have played a huge role in Patidar's appointment.
"I thought that Virat Kohli would be the guy since they decided not to keep Faf du Plessis. I thought Virat Kohli might have had some conversations. See the thing is the team is being run by Virat Kohli. Even if he is not the captain, it's on him as the team has to go for the players that he wants or plans to back. If Patidar is the captain, then for sure Kohli will have had a hand in that as well," Kaif wrote on X.
"That franchise has not won a trophy in 18 years, but still Kohli has been with them for so many years. Without the trophy as well, he has built a lot of influence and respect and the brand value," he added.
Kaif also suggested that Patidar's appointment could be long term, especially considering that Kohli is past his prime and wants to focus on his contributions with the bat.
"I was a bit surprised when he did not take up the captaincy. By bringing in a young captain it could mean that he is around 37 years old and even he wants a young player as a captain for the long-term and focus on his contributions," Kaif pointed out.