Virat Kohli to step down as the captain of the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore after the second phase of VIVO IPL 2021. The Indian skipper will continue to be part of the RCB squad.
The news was officially announced on Sunday evening through Royal Challengers Bangalore’s official social media handles. RCB uploaded a video in which Virat Kohli spoke about him quitting the captaincy after the second leg of VIVO IPL 2021.
The 32-year-old cricketer announced earlier this week that he will be stepping down as the Indian team’s captain from the T20I format after T20 World Cup in October. Kohli cited workload as one of his issues for leaving the captaincy of the national team in the shortest format.
While talking about Kohli’s decision of leaving the captaincy, Prathmesh Mishra, Chairman, RCB said, “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.”
Virat Kohli, Captain, RCB said, “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. 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.”