The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) decided to retain their top order batter, Rajat Patidar, before the mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The franchise offered INR 11 crore to the batter to keep him for the next season as they plan to build the side in the mega auction.
Since being part of the tournament for the first time in 2021, Rajat Patidar has made his name in the event for his incredible skill of smashing the ball out of the part at a consistent rate. The right-handed batter has smashed 799 runs in overall 24 IPL innings at an average of 34.73 and a strike rate of around 160 with the help of seven half-centuries and one century with the best score of unbeaten.
In the previous season of the tournament, the batter drilled 395 runs in just 13 innings at an average of 30.38 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of 177.13, thanks to his 21 boundaries and 33 over boundaries. The Indore-born looked in great shape, showing his aggression in the recent season of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25.
Rajat Patidar was appointed as the captain of Madhya Pradesh in the SMAT 2024
Rajat Patidar has been rewarded for his captaincy skills by the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association for the upcoming prestigious domestic tournament of the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. The competition, which saw Tamil Nadu winning the inaugural edition in 2006-07, found Punjab as its latest champion in the previous edition of 2023.
Also Read: Jofra Archer Makes U-turn To Ignore Ashes 2025!! Set To Be Part Of Mega Auction 2025
Along with the batter, MP will also have the services of the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was part of the winning team of the IPL 2023- Kolkata Knight Riders, the fast bowler Avesh Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, and Harpreet Singh.
Rajat Patidar is one of the three players to be retained by the Bengaluru side, with the others being their former captain, Virat Kohli, for a price of INR 21 crore and the uncapped played in the form of the left-arm pace of India, Yash Dayal, for a price of INR 5 crore.
After these retentions, the ‘Play Bold’ army is left with INR 83 crore in the purse for the mega auction, along with three Right-to-Match (RTM) card options to retain the players they have released by matching their bidding price.
The likes of Indian fast bowler Mohammad Siraj, the power-hitting all-rounder of Australia Glenn Maxwell, or the dynamic opening batter from England, Will Jacks, who celebrated a century in the last season of the competition against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rajat Patidar has been given the responsibility to shoulder the incredible talents of Madhya Pradesh, who will face Mizoram in their opening clash of the tournament. Shubranshu Senapati, Kulwant Khejroliya are also part of the squad for MP.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024 will offer several members of the side a chance to showcase their leadership skills. Shreyas Iyer, the winning captain of the IPL 2023, will lead Mumbai after he was released by the KKR franchise. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), will lead Maharashtra, while Sanju Samson and Krunal Pandya will lead Kerala and Baroda, respectively.
Also Read: Aaqib Javed Indicates Potential Return Of This Pakistan Opener In T20I Squad
Shahrukh Khan will carry the responsibility of Tamil Nadu, Tilak Verma will take charge of Hyderabad, and Uttar Pradesh will be under the leadership of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Madhya Pradesh Squad For SMAT 2024-25
Rajat Patidar (captain), Arpi Gaud, Abhishek Pathak (wicket-keeper), Vikas Sharma (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, Shubranshu Senapati, Pankaj Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, Shivam Shukla, Kamal Tripathi, Tripuresh Singh, and Kulwant Khejroliya.
