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Virat Kohli Set To Captain RCB In IPL 2025

There has been a huge development ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League season as news has surfaced that Virat Kohli is set to be re-appointed as Royal Challengers Bangalore’s captain. The Indian star led the franchise from 2013 to 2021 before deciding to relinquish his duties as captain, with South African cricketer Faf du Plessis taking over. The South African star has since captained the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, but now another change is set to take place, quite likely prompted by the IPL 2025 mega auction. This article talks about Virat Kohli’s re-appointment as RCB captain and the effects this will have.

Is Virat Kohli The Correct Choice For RCB’s Future?

Credit: NDTV Sports

Virat Kohli, who was once known for captaining every side he played for, whether it be the Indian cricket team across any format or the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, is now not the captain of any domestic or international team. While some may take this in a bad way, connecting this to a lack of form, etc., what this means for RCB is that Kohli has much less on his plate, which makes it easier for him to lead RCB from the front.

In fact, Kohli announced his retirement from the Twenty20 International (T20I) format after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024, which means the Indian Premier League is the only short-format tournament he will be participating in. Kohli’s retirement from T20Is means he can take on extra responsibility without feeling like he will burn out. With the mega auction coming up ahead of the IPL 2025 season, this seems like the perfect window of opportunity for RCB to reinstall Kohli as captain.

Will This Put Additional Pressure On Kohli?

While most cricket fans in India are delighted by this news, some Royal Challengers Bangalore fans are concerned about the possible negative impact this added responsibility will have on Virat Kohli’s game. While Kohli has always been phenomenal in the IPL, he showed another gear of his game last year, winning the orange cap, having made 741 runs with an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70, a massive jump from his average strike rate of 124.16 in the past four years.  One of the reasons that Kohli could play without any pressure and to the best of his abilities was because there was less pressure on his back, especially without the added weight of being team captain.

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Virat Kohli’s appointment as the RCB captain may end up bringing back the pressure on the Indian star, and Kohli may not be able to bat as freely. While he is still accountable even without captaincy, the title surely adds additional pressure and responsibility. Kohli may feel like he has a lot more to prove, and not just with the bat if he does end up being re-appointed as captain. This is why this news has gotten mixed reception, with some celebrating the return of the king while some deliberating the possible consequences of this move.

Is This Move Happening Because Of The Mega Auction?

One of the biggest reasons for this move right now could be the mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 season. With high prices set for player retentions, all teams will surely see most of the squad get reshuffled. The mega auction also starts bringing up questions like which players will get retained and which new prospects the franchise wants to pursue in the auction.

🚨 CAPTAIN KOHLI IS BACK…!!! 🚨

Virat Kohli set to return as RCB captain in IPL 2025. (Sahil Malhotra/TOI). pic.twitter.com/QaaG2wazbP

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 30, 2024

Faf du Plessis is currently the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, but given the retention prices, his spot on the team for next year is in doubt. While Faf is the captain, he is now 40 years old, and RCB will surely look to retain someone younger who can stay with them for many years to come. This means that RCB will have no set captain going into the auction, and relying on getting a brilliant skipper in the auction can backfire massively. This could be the reason that RCB has decided that it would be best to re-appoint Virat Kohli as captain ahead of IPL 2025.

Virat Kohli being appointed as the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain will be a double-edged sword. He was the captain of the franchise for nine years but failed to lead them to victory even once despite some brilliant individual performances. If he takes up captaincy once more but RCB does not end up performing, it can end up tarnishing his legacy in the Indian Premier League. On the other hand, if Virat Kohli ends up leading RCB to an IPL title not just as a player but as the captain, it will surely send RCB and Kohli fans into a frenzy and become a huge day in Indian cricket history, marking the redemption of Virat Kohli as an IPL captain.

For more news and updates on Virat Kohli, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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