Three years after stepping down, Virat Kohli is reportedly set for a dramatic return as the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Batting superstar Virat Kohli has reportedly held talks with his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru to be reappointed as their captain for the next season. Kohli stepped down from the role ahead of the IPL 2022 and was succeeded by South African Faf du Plessis. Since the inception of IPL in 2008, RCB have made the finals on three occasions, but each time finished as the runners-up.
Read More: VVS Laxman Set To Be India’s Head Coach For T20I Series Against South Africa: Report
Kohli led RCB from 2013 to 2021 before quitting. However, the franchise has turned back to their talisman as per a report in The Times of India with 40-year-old Du Plessis nearing the end of his playing career. Under Kohli, the team made it to the final in 2016 but was bested by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the title clash.
Under Du Plessis, RCB twice reached the playoffs in three seasons and once finished sixth.
The report further added that RCB also tried getting Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill on board and are likely to bid for Rishabh Pant should the wicketkeeper-batter be released by his current IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.
Kohli is among the greatest IPL batters who is the all-time leading run-getter in the competition’s history. Having been representing RCB since the inception of IPL in 2008, the 35-year-old has racked up 8004 runs from 252 matches at a strike-rate of 131.97. He has struck eight centuries and 55 fifties as well.
Kohli has revealed he’s thought about what it will be like playing for another IPL franchise and that he’s been approached by several teams in the past.
Read More: Smriti Mandhana Breaks Mithali Raj’s Record For Most ODI Centuries By An Indian In Women’s Cricket
“To be very honest I have thought about it, yes I won’t shy away from it and I’ve been approached many times as well to come into the auction somehow, put my name in there and stuff,” Kohli had said in a podcast. “And then I thought about it I was like at the end of the day everyone has X number of years they live right and then you die and then life moves on. And there would have been many great people who want trophies and this that blah blah blah but no one addresses you in the room like “Oh he’s an IPL champion” or “he’s a World Cup champion.”
“What this franchise (RCB) has given me in terms of opportunity in the first three years and believed in me, that is the most special thing because as I said there were many teams who had the opportunity but they didn’t back me, they didn’t believe in me…” he added.
