IPL 2025 Final, RCB vs PBKS: Rajat Patidar vs Shreyas Iyer IPL captaincy record

Two fine captains, two very able leaders and one goal in common: which is to win the IPL title this time around in 2025 and with it, stake a claim to their respective franchise's maiden title crown. However, while it all seems easy, here's a fact.

In cricket, much like in any other team sport, there's but one winner. And this time around, whoever goes on to win the title in the IPL 2025 season, will be laying their hands around a first-ever title.

While on their side, the RCB are no strangers to what it means to play a mega final, having thrice qualified for one previously, on the other hand, Punjab are going to participate in their second ever grand final; the first being in IPL 2014 season.

What ought to be noted is that both teams are hungry for success and both have been disappointed back in the day which is why the 2025 IPL final could spell a first-time-ever for both Punjab and RCB. But again, who will prevail at the end of the day? While we don't know that, we definitely know how the two rival captains stack up against one other, both as batters and leaders.

Rajat Patidar - a thinking leader, ever a team man looking for a leap of faith!

It was in the month of February in 2025 wherein a decision was taken by the famed franchise to make Rajat Patidar, currently 32 years of age, the captain of the beloved unit. This was a significant and a brand new leap of sorts as much opposed to the notion that the great Virat Kohli would once again be made the captain. But under Patidar's new leadership, the franchise tried to attempt a new direction in a fresh bid to captivate the IPL tournament.

Truth be told, nothing could be doubted, at least at this point in time, as in just his maiden season as the famed franchise's captain, Patidar, a determined right hander, has led RCB to the final.

Previously, the RCB franchise have made it to three more IPL finals, but never succeeding to win any. Although, this time around, it could lead to a turnaround of sorts?

But before we delve into understanding how good a captain Rajat Patidar has been or just what have been his successes, it's important to understand his origins in the IPL franchise of RCB, where he, undoubtedly, began as a batter:

He was first signed up in the 2021 season and made his debut during that particular edition's contest against the Mumbai Indians.

Although, he was just able to make a run-a-ball 8 in his maiden IPL game with RCB in 2021, Patidar's best results as a batter would happen ahead. However, in that season alone, he just made 71 runs from just 4 games.

Next year, in 2022, Patidar made lots of runs, 333 of them and that too, at an average of 55.5. He was courageous and risk-taking in equal measure.

In 2023 season, there was no Rajat Patidar for the franchise as he'd have to sit out of the IPL owing to a run-in with the Achilles heel injury.

A year later in 2024, and hopeful of returning to the passionate red fold, Rajat Patidar struck 395 runs for Bangalore but from 13 games. While the runs were there to be seen, they nicely pointed to the big scoring rates. Patidar contributed fervently as a dependable batter who could score rampantly and made his runs at a strike rate north of 170.

This year around, Patidar, the captain has come good for RCB. He has led the team to their fourth-IPL final and under his leadership, a first one. But as a batter, he's battled injury concerns and doubts and even then, scored 286 runs from 14 contests as on date.

Where it stands at present, Patidar enjoys a win percentage of 75 percent, which means that with a bit more work and effort, he could become an even more dependable and stable figure for the franchise that loves playing bold.

Shreyas Iyer - captain undersung, with purely passionate performances!

It ought to be remembered that in 2025, it's the first captaincy stint for Shreyas Iyer for the Punjab side.

Not that he hasn't captained before; he has been a maverick leader for the famed Kolkata side, but after he was dealt harshly with, KKR releasing him post the 2024 season, Iyer has adapted to the colour red and Punjab as if a fish takes to water.

Just that he's no ordinary swimmer; he's a Barracuda among the testing waters of the IPL.

But before we delve into his leadership style and success story so far for Punjab, it's important to reflect on his IPL beginnings.

Iyer, a stylish run maker and dependable batter, first appeared on the IPL scene in the year 2015. On that aspect alone, he has played the tournament for six more seasons than RCB's current captain Rajat Patidar (who debuted in 2021).

Interestingly, both the captains who will take to the field in the next few hours for the final contest made single-digit scores in their maiden IPL assignments. While it was shared earlier that Patidar made just 8, Iyer, who made his debut with the Delhi Daredevils made just a run-a-ball 7.

In that aspect what's also interesting is to note that both captains here made single digit scores as debutants for their respective franchies.

Moving on, Iyer would score just 30 runs from 6 games in the IPL 2016 edition, improving further to 338 runs from 12 games in the 2017 IPL season.

A year later, Shreyas Iyer scored 411 runs from 14 IPL contests while scoring a further 463 runs in the next, i.e., IPL 2019 season.

But it was the 2020 IPL edition, where Iyer as a pure batter achieved his then-highest individual aggregate of runs, scoring 519 runs from 17 games, the most he's played in any edition.

In the next three IPL seasons, he'd score 175, 401 and 351 runs (not 2023), respectively, from 8, 14 and 15 games, respectively. However, in the current IPL season, Iyer has really brought out his A-game as a batter, scoring 603 runs already from 16 games. He'a also achieved a personal best score of 97 not out this season.

The big difference betwen Patidar and Iyer, the batters that they are?

While it's a bit surprising that despite playing the IPL from 2015 onwards, Iyer hasn't yet scored a three figure mark, Patidar, who has been with the RCB from 2021 onwards, has already struck a century. The 32-year-old's best score remains the unbeaten 112 that came during IPL 2022 against Chennai Super Kings. Patidar hit seven sixes in that series.

The weird oddity betwen the two

Their first-ever IPL score was a single digit score and both Patidar and Iyer have hit unbeaten knocks in their most recent IPL outings: Patidar hit the winning runs and was unbeaten at the crease when Bangalore overcame Punjab, which will be their final rival.

At the same time, Iyer, most recently, was very much at the crease when he hit Mumbai out of the ground during his mega unbeaten 87-run knock.

Patidar versus Iyer as captain?

From 9 wins in 15 games, Shreyas Iyer at Punjab has an effective, if not massive, win percentage of 60 percent. On the other hand, Rajat Patidar enjoys a 75 percent win rate for RCB.

Here's how Shreyas Iyer has performed vs RCB - something Patidar would want to note!