Rajat Patidar to captain Madhya Pradesh across all formats following IPL, Duleep Trophy title wins
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Rajat Patidar has been appointed the all‑format captain of Madhya Pradesh, according to ESPNCricinfo. The 32‑year‑old will lead the state team for the 2025‑26 season, which kicks off with the Ranji Trophy on 15 October in Indore.
Patidar takes over from Shubham Sharma, and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) – with Chandrakant Pandit as Director of Cricket – wants the experienced batter to steer the side in every format. His leadership was first noticed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season when he guided the team to the final and finished second on the run‑scale with 428 runs at 61.14 an average, a 186‑strike‑rate and five fifties.
In the IPL, Patidar led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first title in 18 years. He also helped the Central Zone win the Duleep Trophy for the first time since 2014‑15, topping the run‑chart with 382 runs in five innings (average 76.40, strike‑rate 96) and scoring two centuries.
Last week, he captained a strong Rest of India side in the Irani Cup, scoring 66 even as his team lost to Vidarbha by 93 runs. During the 2024‑25 Ranji season, Patidar accumulated 529 runs in 11 innings (average 48.09), with a century and three fifties, making him the team’s second‑highest run‑getter after Shubham Sharma’s 943 runs.
Across first‑class cricket, Patidar has 5,196 runs at 44.41 in 72 matches, including 15 hundreds and 27 fifties, with a best score of 196.
The Ranji season will begin against Punjab in Indore. The tournament is split into two phases: the first runs from 15 October to 19 November, followed by a break for white‑ball competitions. The second phase starts on 22 January and ends 1 February, with knock‑outs from 6 to 28 February.
Patidar made his India debut in 2023, playing three Tests and scoring 63 runs against England, and one ODI against South Africa, where he added 22 runs. His form this season has been strong, boasting two centuries and three fifties in just seven innings across the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup.
Source: aninews
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