Kris Srikkant opines on why Virat Kohli could have declined RCB captaincy

According to Indian cricket veteran Kris Srikkanth, Virat Kohli himself would have preferred to focus on his batting for the forthcoming IPL season rather than return as captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Additionally, Srikkanth praised RCB's choice to name Rajat Patidar as their new captain, pointing to lower expectations for the 31-year-old as a benefit to his leadership. On February 13, RCB shocked everyone by appointing Patidar as their fourth Indian captain.

Following his resignation in 2021, there has been much conjecture regarding Kohli's possible return to the position of captain. But according to Srikkanth, who suggested his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka, Virat Kohli might have decided against taking the captaincy again in favour of Patidar's new strategy.

"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 thing 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 calls. He will consult Virat Kohli, who will be a guiding force," he added.

Mo Bobat emphasized Virat Kohli leadership skills

Mo Bobat also praised Virat Kohli for his leadership skills during the event of the captain announcement. Virat Kohli became the captain of RCB in 2013 and after nine years in 2021, he decided to quit IPL captaincy. Later he also steps down as India’s T20I and ODI captain. During his tenure, Virat Kohli failed to lift the IPL title with RCB. In 2016, he came very close but lost to SRH in the finals. Even though he failed to win the trophy as a captain, his is having a long-lasting legacy at RCB. Bobat emphasised that since leadership is in his blood, Kohli's impact goes beyond a title.

In addition, RCB head coach Andy Flower discussed Kohli's response to the announcement, characterising the star batsman as very professional and in favour of Patidar's hiring. In IPL 2025, RCB hopes to see Kohli return to his explosive best, now that he is concentrating just on his batting.