It looks like the cricket world is going through some serious twists and turns this year. We have not yet confirmed the foreign players’ availability for the second phase of IPL. On top of that, we are hearing that Virat may step down from RCB captaincy if they fail to win the title this year.
How Was RCB’s Performance In IPL So Far?
As we have recently come to know, Virat Kohli has decided to step down from the captaincy position of T20. His fans have generated shock waves, but he has considered this decision after talking to his coach and teammates. He said that there was too much pressure on him, and if he resigns as T20 captaincy, he can prepare the team better for ODI matches.
Warm birthday greetings to our honourable PM @narendramodi ji. May you be blessed with good health and happiness.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 17, 2021
Since then, speculations have started if Virat will step down as RCB captain too. We all know that Kohli’s record as RCB captain is not so remarkable. He took on the captaincy role full-time in 2013 but has not claimed the title even once so far. Only one time, he took the team to the finals in 2016 but suffered a significant defeat in the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
That’s the farthest that Virat has managed to take his team in the IPL. in 2017 IPL and 2019 IPL, RCB finished the tournament at the bottom of the table. Last time, the team qualified for playoffs but could not compete in the finals.
Is Virat Really Stepping Down From RCB Captaincy?
Even though the franchise owners kept faith in Virat’s captaincy every time, maybe they are losing patience too. Under Virat’s captaincy, RCB has witnessed mostly lows rather than highs. They have the title of the highest-ever scorer of 263 runs, but they also have the lowest-ever scorer title in their name with 49 runs only.
Former batting legend of the Indian cricket team, Sunil Gavaskar, was also surprised that Kohli decided to step down as India’s captain but chose to stick as RCB captain. A former BCCI official also questioned this decision of Virat. He said that the franchise owners are right to pressure him to win this match because the demand for this tournament is crazy. So, whatever Virat’s excuse was to resign from India’s captain for workload issues, it did not convince many people.
IPL 2022 auction will start in February, so IPL 2021 is Virat’s last chance to prove himself. If Virat does not secure the victory title this time, the franchise will likely replace him with AB de Villiers. But, will a man of Kohli’s stature wait until the franchise owners push him down, or will he resign from the captaincy before that? Let’s see what the media has to say.
The Confirmed News
Virat Kohli to step down from RCB captaincy after #IPL2021
“This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me.”: Virat Kohli#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/QSIdCT8QQM
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 19, 2021
On Sunday, Kohli put an end to all these speculations and announced that he would step down from RCB captaincy after this IPL. He thanks all his followers and RCB supporters for keeping faith in him for so long, and now he wishes to retire. He also mentions that he will continue playing as an RCB player but will no longer share the captain’s workload.
With 199 IPL matches, Kohli has scored 6076 runs so far. Unfortunately, while it can be claimed as a personal milestone, he has not been able to let RCB lift the IPL champions trophy. That’s why he says that it was a difficult decision for him to make, but he thinks it will be better for the entire franchise. Kohli doesn’t forget to thank the RCB coach, players, staff, and RCB management, who have contributed positively to the franchise’s success so far.
Closing Thoughts
It is indeed that Virat has achieved several individual milestones in his 8-9 years of cricket career. But, his performance in RCB has been poor so far. So, we may hear of Virat stepping down from RCB captaincy after this IPL, and we will update you as soon as we get the news.
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