Rajat Patidar’s injury has raised questions about the RCB captaincy status for IPL 2026. The present RCB captain got injured during the India A match and will be off the ground for no less than four months.
It is anticipated that he will be fit in the appropriate period but such injuries can sometimes take longer, and management will have to narrow down the options for RCB’s captain if he is not available. There are a few players in the squad that come with a lot of international experience in the format and have led different teams.
We will now discuss the three players who might get a promotion to RCB captaincy in the event that Patidar doesn’t recover for IPL 2026 due to injury.
Who Can Replace Rajat Patidar as RCB Captain in IPL 2026
Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma is the leading candidate for the RCB captaincy during Patidar’s absence. The previous season, he took the lead for two matches when Patidar was not available, the result being one win and one loss matching each.
Jitesh is one of the fastest thinkers on the team, and his leadership qualities have been pretty much acknowledged due to his being chosen as the India A captain at the Rising Asia Cup. Also, his retention is at least assured from what he did last season, and he is still the most suitable candidate to fill in for Patidar at the top.
Krunal Pandya
Krunal Pandya is one of the most seasoned players in the RCB team and has a lot of leadership experience which is crucial in T20 formats. He is Baroda’s captain in all forms of cricket and has also been the skipper of the IPL team Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Pandya might be the RCB captain since he is a proper settled member and knows how to manage a T20 team. He has been in the captaincy role for at least a few years, if not more, and should at least be the vice-captain if Patidar is ruled out for the entire season.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has not been keen on coming back as RCB captain since giving up the post in 2021, but he still is one of the team’s choices. In total, Kohli has occupied the RCB captaincy position 143 times, the highest number in the franchise’s history, and has secured 66 victories with a win percentage of 48.56%.
In 2023, when Faf du Plessis was utilized as an impact player, Kohli came back for a few matches as RCB captain, but he might be hesitant to take up that role again, particularly since they have other options. Nonetheless, Virat Kohli can always take the lead – partly due to his experience and partly because of his worth in a franchise he has been with for 18 years
