Indian cricket legend Kris Srikkanth believes that Virat Kohli himself would have chosen not to return as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), prioritising his batting for the upcoming IPL season. Srikkanth also lauded RCB’s decision to appoint Rajat Patidar as their new skipper, citing reduced expectations on the 31-year-old as a positive factor for his leadership.
RCB surprised many by announcing Patidar as their fourth Indian captain on February 13. Speculation had been rife about a potential return of Kohli to the leadership role after stepping down in 2021. However, speaking on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka, Srikkanth suggested that Kohli may have personally opted against reclaiming the captaincy, making way for a fresh approach under Patidar.
“I think Virat would have said no to the captaincy. He would have said ‘I want to focus on batting’. I think all this must have happened in consultation with Virat Kohli,” Srikkanth said.
“Rajat Patidar is a good choice. He has been doing well in the IPL. The good things is he will not have a lot of expectations. When we appointed Dhoni in 2007 as the T20 World Cup captain, not a lot was expected of him and the team. It’s a bit like that…Expectations from Rajat Patidar as a captain are not high. He will take his own calls. He will consult Virat Kohli, who will be a guiding force,” he added.
During the official announcement event in Bengaluru, RCB’s Team Director Mo Bobat acknowledged Kohli’s leadership presence within the franchise, even during Faf du Plessis’ captaincy last season. Bobat emphasised that Kohli’s influence extends beyond a title, as leadership comes naturally to him.
Having led RCB for nine seasons from 2013 to 2021, Kohli relinquished the role along with his decision to step down as India’s T20I and ODI captain. While he never secured an IPL trophy as captain, his tenure helped build RCB’s identity as a competitive force in the tournament.
RCB’s head coach, Andy Flower, also spoke about Kohli’s reaction to the decision, describing the star batter as highly professional and supportive of Patidar’s appointment. With Kohli focusing solely on his batting, RCB hopes to see him return to his explosive best in IPL 2025.
