It would have been nigh impossible to accurately predict Rajat Patidar’s success as a captain before the 2025 season. The 32-year-old has made history by leading an IPL franchise to their first-ever IPL title and also clinching the Duleep Trophy in one year.
Patidar led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to their maiden IPL title before guiding Central Zone to a much-needed Duleep Trophy. Rajat’s success boosts his rankings among some of India’s most-decorated cricketers of all time.
Patidar Becomes a Record-Setting Captain with Two Titles to End Long Streaks in One Season
Rajat’s IPL success as RCB skipper in 2025 ended the franchise’s 17-year wait for a title. He also led Central Zone to their first Duleep Trophy in over 10 years. The skilled batter actively engaged in both teams’ eventual success to ensure his remarkable year added another interesting layer.
Patidar’s impressive feats now puts him close to the category of legends like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Patidar Leads in Batting Performances at Duleep Trophy 2025
Rajat Patidar delivered a remarkable 382 runs in 3 matches at the Duleep Trophy. His total haul included 2 centuries, 2 half-centuries, 8 sixes, and 55 fours. He also put together an impressive 127 runs per match and 76 runs per innings during this stint.
| Pos | Player (Team) | Mat | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100 | 50 |
| 1 | RM Patidar (CEZ) | 3 | 382 | 125 | 76.40 | 96.9 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | YV Rathod (CEZ) | 3 | 374 | 194 | 124.66 | 74.6 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | DV Malewar (CEZ) | 3 | 352 | 203 | 70.40 | 68.0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | A Badoni (NOZ) | 2 | 307 | 204 | 153.50 | 90.2 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | SS Sharma (CEZ) | 3 | 266 | 122 | 53.20 | 47.1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | N Jagadeesan (SOZ) | 1 | 249 | 197 | 249.00 | 59.1 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Ankit Kumar (NOZ) | 2 | 234 | 198 | 78.00 | 62.9 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | RD Gaikwad (WEZ) | 1 | 200 | 184 | 100.00 | 87.3 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | N Sindhu (NOZ) | 2 | 197 | 82 | 65.66 | 63.7 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | YV Dhull (NOZ) | 2 | 186 | 133 | 62.00 | 78.4 | 1 | 0 |
Duleep Trophy 2025 Fixtures and Results
Patidar led Central Zone (CEZ) to a hard-fought win in the Duleep Trophy after 2 successive draws. His side eventually dislodged South Zone (SOZ) in the final to become champions in one of India’s most important domestic cricket competitions.
| Date | Stage | Ground | Team A (1st & 2nd innings) | Team B (1st & 2nd innings) | Result | |
| 28-31 Aug | QF | BCCI CEG Ground | North Zone – 405 & 658/4d | East Zone – 230 | Draw | North Zone won 1st innings |
| 28-31 Aug | QF | Central Zone – 532/4d & 331/7d | North East Zone – (T:679) 185 & 200/6 | Draw | Central Zone won 1st innings | |
| 04-07 Sep | 1st SF | South Zone – 536 & 95/1 | North Zone – 361 | Draw | South Zone won 1st innings | |
| 04-07 Sep | 2nd SF | West Zone – 438 & 216/8 | Central Zone – 600 | Draw | Central Zone won 1st innings | |
| 11-15 Sep | Final | South Zone – 149 & 426 | Central Zone – (T:65) 511 & 66/4 | Central Zone won by 6 wickets | ||
Top 10 Wicket-Takers at Duleep Trophy 2025
Wicket-takers were firing on all cylinders all throughout the just-concluded Duleep Trophy. See the top players with a knack for taking scalps in high-stakes cricket:
| Pos | Player (Team) | Mat | Inns | Overs | Runs | Wkts | SR |
| 1 | SS Jain (CEZ) | 2 | 4 | 116.3 | 384 | 16 | 43.6 |
| 2 | Gurjapneet Singh (SOZ) | 2 | 3 | 58.1 | 241 | 10 | 34.9 |
| 3 | HS Dubey (CEZ) | 2 | 4 | 93.0 | 287 | 10 | 55.8 |
| 4 | K Kartikeya (CEZ) | 1 | 2 | 60.0 | 163 | 8 | 45.0 |
| 5 | Auqib Nabi (NOZ) | 2 | 3 | 41.1 | 122 | 6 | 41.1 |
| 6 | N Sindhu (NOZ) | 2 | 3 | 57.2 | 159 | 6 | 57.3 |
| 7 | Ankit Sharma (SOZ) | 1 | 2 | 54.1 | 202 | 6 | 54.1 |
| 8 | Manishi (EAZ) | 1 | 2 | 56.2 | 277 | 6 | 56.3 |
| 9 | AS Thakare (CEZ) | 2 | 4 | 30.0 | 73 | 5 | 36.0 |
| 10 | MD Nidheesh (SOZ) | 2 | 2 | 38.0 | 125 | 4 | 57.0 |
