It is all but sure that Virat Kohli will nor return as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025. While it was quite obvious that the side was going to release Faf du Plessis ahead of the mega-auction, there were hopes of King Kohli being handed over the reins of the team once again as they hunt for a maiden title. However, that is not to be and has been confirmed by Mo Bobat himself.
RCB stripped Virat Kohli off captaincy in 2022 in a hope to turn around their fortunes. Getting du Plessis to replace Kohli didn’t help RCB in any manner as they found themselves out of luck once again in IPL 2023 and 2024. If RCB did not want to make Virat Kohli as skipper, the might as well have released him. Primarily due to his form and second because he could have build another team in hunt for glory.
RCB should have released Virat Kohli ahead of IPL 2025
There is no doubt that Virat Kohli is the face and the backbone of RCB. He has been a part of the franchise since his debut in IPL and is considered a household name for the RCBians. For the team, the very idea of letting go of Virat Kohli might seem impossible. But here’s the catch. Despite being consistent with the bat for over a decade now, RCB has not managed to cash in on Kohli’s strengths to reach their maiden trophy. The presence of Virat in any other side could help the team much better. At least, it will be different than what he was used to doing for RCB.
Virat Kohli captaincy record in IPL
Leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for 144 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, Virat has won 68 matches and has lost 72.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | No result | Win% |
| 144 | 68 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 47.22% |
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RCB have retained no other batter apart from Rajat Patidar. This means the team would have to recruit a new batting-order entirely, putting Virat Kohli through the same test that he has been subjected to for multiple seasons. It is very well understood that Virat Kohli is to RCB as to what MS Dhoni is to CSK and that the stars and the franchises are inseparable. But it would surely be a step forward for Virat Kohli should he be given the freedom – both as a batter and captain – for another team, in what would be a fresh start.
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