Virat Kohli will step down as the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the conclusion of the ongoing edition of IPL 2021.
“It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years,” said Kohli in the video posted by RCB on their Twitter handle.
“It wasn’t an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise. The RCB family remains close to my heart as we continue to strive to achieve excellence. As I have mentioned previously in many occasions, I will only play for RCB until my retirement from the game of cricket,” he added.
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
Kohli has been with RCB since 2008 and is leading the side since 2013.
“Virat Kohli is one of the finest cricketers, and has been a true asset to RCB. His impeccable work ethics and leadership skills has been phenomenal. We respect and support this decision and would like to thank Virat for his incredible contribution to the RCB leadership group. He has left an indelible mark on the franchise and will continue to be a senior member of the team,” said RCB chairman Prathmesh Mishra in his statement.
Earlier this week, the Delhi-born had announced that he will relinquish his India T20 captaincy after the upcoming T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE.
Kohli made these announcements to manage the “workload” and “focus on his batting”.
As per media reports, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers may lead RCB from IPL 2022 onwards.
