Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar, who suffered a finger injury during the side's home game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 3, is on the road to recovery, as per a ESPNcricinfo report.
The right-hander has been advised to use a splint to safeguard the finger and refrain from training for a minimum of 10 days, the report said.
The 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been temporarily suspended after 57 matches due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma was in line to captain RCB against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday, but the match was postponed after the BCCI decided to suspend the remainder of the league for one week.
The break would give Patidar ample time to recover without missing any match, and by the time the IPL resumes, he might be back again to lead RCB.
Expressing his gratitude to the team management for considering him for captaincy, Jitesh highlighted the challenge of finding the right team combination, especially in the absence of Patidar and middle-order batter Devdutt Padikkal, who was ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 with a hamstring injury.
"I feel very grateful. Getting an opportunity to captain RCB is a very big thing for me and my family. I was pondering what the right combination would be because both Devdutt and Rajat were not available, and it was not going to be easy to fill those voids," Jitesh said on RCB Bold Diaries as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"And as per the position we were on the points table, we would have won this game. All of this was going on in my head and all the meetings with coaches and players in those two-three days, batting order, discussions with bowlers. I had good fun," he added.
As per latest reports, the IPL will resume on on May 16 with a clash between the LSG and RCB.
Hyderabad is likely to host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator, while Kolkata is expected to stage Qualifier 2 and the Final, tentatively scheduled for May 30 or June 1. However, the final could be moved to Ahmedabad if weather conditions in Kolkata pose a risk.
The BCCI is expected to release a revised match schedule shortly.
Currently, RCB are second on the points table with 16 points and a win from their three remaining games will take them to the playoffs.
© 2025