Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after IPL 2021: Cannot think of being in any other team

Virat Kohli on Sunday made it clear that he will continue playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore but won’t be captaining the team beyond the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season.

Kohli dropped his second bombshell this week as he confirmed the news in a video posted by RCB on social media. The 32-year-old also gave up the captaincy of India’s T20 team to manage his immense workload, saying he would not continue in the role after this year’s World Cup in the UAE.

RCB fans though, can heave a sigh of relief as Kohli confirmed that he won’t be leaving the franchise till the time he plays IPL cricket.

“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,” the RCB skipper said in a statement.

“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.”

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, who took over as RCB skipper full time from Daniel Vettori in 2013, has yet to lead the side to an IPL title.

“I spoke to the management this evening. This was something that was on my mind… I needed the space to refresh, regroup and be absolutely clear in how to move forward,” Kohli said.

RCB are currently third on the IPL 2021 points table with 5 wins out of 7 games. They will resume their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on September 19.