'If your idol backs you, you don't need anything more': Rajat Patidar on Virat Kohli's support

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar has revealed how Virat Kohli’s support helped him take on the captaincy of the IPL franchise. Patidar said Kohli, whom he has admired for years, backed him strongly when he was given the responsibility of leading RCB.According to Patidar, having the support of his idol gave him confidence to handle the pressure of the role.‘If your idol backs you’Patidar spoke about Kohli’s influence and the special feeling of getting support from a player he had looked up to for a long time.“If your idol backs you, then you don’t need anything more. You don’t need anyone else’s support. I used to notice everything about him when he batted. From what he did on the ground to what his routine was off the field. Later, I came to know he backed me a lot, including when it came to captaincy,” Patidar told Sports Launchpad.Patidar said leading RCB is not an easy job because of the huge fan base and the expectations around the team.“It is not easy to hand someone the RCB captaincy, considering the fans and the expectations. He must have seen something in me. I don’t know what, but I have received a lot of support from him in the team, as a player and as a captain. He always backed me,” Patidar said.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Patidar delivers for RCBPatidar quickly showed why the franchise trusted him with the captaincy.Under his leadership, RCB won their first IPL title in 2025, ending an 18-year wait for the trophy.The team then defended the title in 2026. Patidar became only the third captain to win consecutive IPL titles, joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.For Patidar, Kohli’s support has remained an important part of his leadership journey.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.