IPL 2025 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru are looking for a new captain after Faf du Plessis' departure and the franchise will enter IPL 2025 under new leadership.

Speculation is rife among fans and cricket experts that superstar Virat Kohli, who relinquished the captaincy in 2021, might once again take up the role. However, RCB have not made any official statement regarding this matter.

"Currently we have not decided anything. We have multiple leaders in the team. 4-5 leaders are there. We have not deliberated what we need to do. We will deliberate, and we will come to a conclusion'', RCB COO, Rajesh Menon told Sports Tak.

But who are the 5 possible candidates apart from Virat Kohli? Here's a look.

1) Rajat Patidar : Patidar has surfaced as a strong contender for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captaincy ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 31-year-old batter has shown interest in leading the franchise and is open to taking on the responsibility if given the chance.

Expressing his readiness for the role, Patidar stated that he is prepared for the challenge and would be delighted to captain RCB. His leadership credentials were on display when he guided Madhya Pradesh to a runner-up finish in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), further boosting his case for the position.

2) Bhuvneshwar Kumar : An IPL veteran and one of India's experienced pacer currently. Bhuvneshwar has captained the Uttar Pradesh side in the domestic circuit and also has the experience of captaining his ex IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as well and as a vice-captain for the Indian side in T20Is.

3) Krunal Pandya : Hardik Pandya's elder brother was bought by RCB for ₹5.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He already has the CV of leading an IPL side before, during his time back at Lucknow Super Giants. The 33-year-old also captained the Baroda side in domestic cricket. Pandya do have a proven record and could be seen as one of the candidates.

4) Phil Salt : Former KKR star, Salt has led England in T20I matches and has also captained Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

5) Liam Livingstone : The England all-rounder has led Lancashire in the Vitality Blast and even captained the national team in ODIs as well. But is it enough to lead RCB? We have to wait and watch.