Former cricketer-turned broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar shared his views on why Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) decided not to make Virat Kohli their captain for the IPL 2025. After Faf du Plessis left the team, many fans thought 36-year-old Kohli would be the top choice for captaincy. However, RCB chose Rajat Patidar instead. Patidar recently led Madhya Pradesh to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored an unbeaten 81 against Mumbai, even though his team didn’t win.
Manjrekar on Kohli’s captaincy snub
Manjrekar appreciated RCB’s decision, saying it eased pressure on Kohli. “I thought RCB took a very good decision. They didn’t want to put pressure on Virat Kohli by giving him the responsibility of captaincy. When someone is in the nothing-to-lose zone, you must have seen reality shows, when someone is out of the race or singing in his farewell round,” he explained on Star Sports during the IPL schedule announcement.
IPL 2025: Kohli and Rohit to shine
Manjrekar believes both Kohli and Rohit Sharma will perform brilliantly in the upcoming IPL season, starting on March 22 with RCB facing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. “I think the best of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in recent times will be seen in this IPL. These two are big brands of Indian cricket, are together in this game,” he added.
More on cricket
- Wankhede Stadium pitch report and stats ahead of MI vs KKR IPL 2025 match
- Lowest powerplay scores in IPL 2025 so far
- RR vs CSK LIVE score: Gaikwad-Dube on crease but asking rate continues to skyrocket, CSK 62/2
Kohli’s Impressive IPL eecord
Virat Kohli holds the record as the all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history, amassing 8004 runs at an average of 38.66. His tally includes eight centuries and 55 fifties. Last year, he scored 741 runs at an impressive average of 61.75, with a top score of 113 not out. His performance helped RCB reach the playoffs, securing seven consecutive wins in the league stage. However, their journey ended in the eliminator, as they lost to the Rajasthan Royals by four wickets.
In summary, RCB’s decision to choose Patidar over Kohli as captain could allow Kohli to play with more freedom and focus on his batting, which might lead to an outstanding IPL season for him and Rohit Sharma.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Sanju Samson blows another chance to go past Abhishek Sharma & Jaiswal in race for T20 World Cup spot
Top Stories
