'RCB approached me before CSK...' - Chennai Super Kings player drops bombshell revelation after playing for CSK in IPL 2025

The Gujarat and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicket-keeper batter, Urvil Patel, has revealed the secret story of how he ended up playing under MS Dhoni’s leadership during the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He went unsold in the auction despite enjoying a domestic season, but was later picked up by the injured Vansh Bedi/

It was the second stint of the IPL after spending his time with the Gujarat Titans in 2023, and he didn’t get a game there. Urvil Patel reveals that it was the Royal Challengers Bengaluru who approached the 26-year-old as a replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal. But the ‘Play Bold’ franchise wasn’t ready to confirm his inclusion and asked him to go through a 15-day trial.

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'First, I received a call from RCB that Devdutt Padikkal was probably injured, so they were looking for a replacement in his place. So, the call came from there first. But they didn’t say for sure that they were picking me. They said that you have to come for a 15-day trial with us.’ Patel revealed during a recent podcast.

Chennai Super Kings’ player drops bombshell on playing for CSK in IPL 2025

Later, the Yellow franchise’s scouting head, A. R. Srikkanth, connected with him as they were looking for a replacement and asked him to stay prepared as they were waiting for the approval of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The clear communication from the Super Kings pushed him to make up his mind.

The right-handed batter started the IPL 2025 season with a fine knock of 31 runs in just 10 deliveries against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens. Later, he got a duck against the Rajasthan Royals and the 37-run knock against the Gujarat Titans, and ended the season with 68 runs.

Overall, Urvil has smashed 1230 runs in 50 T20 innings at an average of 26.17 and a strike rate of over 170, thanks to two centuries and four half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 115 runs. In the last year of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he drilled 315 runs in six innings at a strike rate of close to 230.