IPL 2021: Will Virat Kohli continue as RCB captain? – Since taking over as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain in 2013, the expectations have been high for him to lead the team to their first IPL title. However, despite doing well on an individual front, he has failed quite badly. As Kohli has decided to step down from India’s T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup citing a heavy workload, many have started raising questions about whether he will quit as RCB captain after IPL 2021, especially with a mega auction coming up for IPL 2022.
Under Virat Kohli, RCB have seen highs and lows. If they have posted the highest-ever IPL score of 263 against now-defunct Pune Warriors India but have also seen posting the lowest-ever total of 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Amid all, even though Virat Kohli has reached individual milestones, becoming IPL’s all-time top-scorer, the IPL title has remained elusive, failing in final thrice and thrice in IPL playoffs including IPL 2020.
IPL 2021: After every failed IPL campaign, questions have been raised on whether Virat Kohli should remain captain. Even former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar was surprised that he chose to remain as RCB captain and step down as India captain. But as his T20 runs have started to dry up, Kohli could take a call on his captaincy post IPL 2021.
IPL 2021: Will Virat Kohli continue as RCB captain?
Although the franchise has remained patient with Kohli and has trusted his captaincy making public statements, another failed IPL campaign could finally force the owners to run out of patience. Ahead of a mega auction in February 2022, RCB could replace him with another, most likely AB de Villiers and Kohli would want to step down himself.
- Virat Kohli’s captaincy record in IPL is poor with a 65-60 win-loss record.
- With a winning percentage of 48.04, Kohli has one of the lowest winning records.
- In 132 matches as a captain, Kohli has won just 60 and lost 65 matches.
- His competitor Rohit Sharma has the best captaincy record with 60.16% captaincy winning percentage.
- If Kohli doesn’t manage to win IPL 2021 title in UAE, he himself could step down.
- Furthermore, while his batting average for RCB isn’t questionable, in T20Is, it has certainly dropped. As Virat Kohli is concentrating on Tests and prolong his career, stepping down from RCB captaincy is on the cards.
IPL 2021: “Virat Kohli has been given a long rope by the RCB. If you have been given a world-class batting and bowling line-up, if you can’t pull it off for so many years, then you need to seek the change at the top,” former India skipper and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times.
As the mega auction is coming up in February 2022, IPL 2021 is Virat Kohli’s last chance to redeem himself. A man of Kohli’s stature would like to step down before it’s too late or the franchise forces him to do so.
