Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) youngster Swastik Chikara faced criticism during IPL 2025 for not getting to play a match, despite being part of the title-winning squad that ended RCB’s 18-year wait for an IPL crown.
Swastik, who was often seen supporting the team by giving water and looking after his teammates during matches, responded to the trolls by saying, “Now tell me one thing. I wasn’t even playing, right? My job was to take care of the players, give them water, look after them, carry towels, or do anything else needed for the team. I just wanted to give my best, what’s the problem in that? That was my job, and giving water is a good thing. What’s wrong with that? At home, do you not give water to anyone, or wherever you are? In cricket, everyone gives water, who doesn’t?”
He added, “For me, it felt great. I was giving water to the best players, the world’s number one player (Virat Kohli), with my own hands. He drank water from my hands. What could be better than that? I really enjoyed it, and he drank it.” Swastik shared these thoughts during a recent episode of the CricXtasy podcast.
Swastik also praised RCB captain Rajat Patidar, who led the team admirably throughout IPL 2025. “He showed really excellent captaincy. I mean, handling such a big team, and it was his first time captaining in the IPL, and he didn’t take any pressure at all. He managed everything very well, every decision happening in the match. It’s a huge thing, bro, and captaining RCB comes with its own pressure. The fan base is so strong that if you make even one mistake, anything can happen in two minutes,” said Chikara.
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Chikara On Patidar
Under Patidar’s leadership, RCB won 10 out of 13 matches he captained, culminating in the final victory over Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kohli was the team’s highest run-scorer, amassing 657 runs in 15 innings, including eight half-centuries, averaging 54.75.
Earlier, Swastik, the right-handed batter from Uttar Pradesh, revealed details of his conversation with Virat Kohli regarding the star batter’s future IPL plans in an interview with RevSportz. Kohli made it clear that he intended to continue playing in the IPL as long as he remains fully fit, rejecting the idea of playing only as an Impact Player later in his career. Swastik recalled Kohli’s words: “Virat bhaiya said, ‘Jab tak cricket khelunga, jab tak main poora fit hoon. Ye Impact Player ki tarah nahi khelunga. Main sher ki tarah khelunga (I will play cricket for as long as I am completely fit. I won’t play as an Impact Player. I will play like a lion).'”
This candid insight from the 20-year-old showcases his maturity and team spirit despite being sidelined during the season, and highlights the intense pressure and expectations around leading a top IPL franchise.