Never Felt I Want To Move Away From RCB Just Because I Haven't Won A Title - Virat Kohli

5,878 runs, 5 centuries, 39 half-centuries – Virat Kohli wouldn’t mind giving away all these if he could trade for at least one of three IPL finals – 2009, 2011, and 2016 – he lost while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Year after year the franchise, and its fans have endured the agony of their dream to lift the title vanish; one man has been a constant: Virat Kohli, the current skipper, who doesn’t give up and is gearing up for another round.

Speaking ahead of the IPL 2021 season opener against Mumbai Indians, the 32-year-old said that in the entire 13-year journey with the franchise, it has never occurred to him that he should leave, just because he hasn’t won the title with them. The Delhi-born admits that his side hasn’t been the most composed of the teams, but there is no lack of “passion, commitment, intensity.”

“There are couple of other teams who have great fan bases but I think we are a team who get a lot of support and adulation wherever we play because we play a certain brand of cricket.

“We will play our heart out, we might not be composed enough in many difficult situations in the past but there has never been shortage of passion, commitment, intensity,” Virat Kohli said in a video uploaded by the franchise on social media.

“A lot of fun on the field and me as an individual have never felt that I wanna move away from the system just because I haven’t won a title. That happens because things have been so organic, this cannot be created anywhere.

“This cannot be manufactured in a way that people are forcing me to play, and I am forcing the management to keep me, there has never been a conversation like that. So, things have been very organic. The respect, the care and the enjoyment I feel here, I don’t think I can recreate anywhere else. The experience has been magical,” he added.

I have a good feeling this time around: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, who has confirmed that he will open this season, is positive about RCB’s chances to end their title drought. The franchise roped in the likes of Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian for big money in the February auction in a bid to plug their holes from last season, where they finished 4th on the points table.

“It feels surreal. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like we went away for too long as there was a lot of cricket in between as well but yeah, very excited that we are playing in India again. Although in a different way, in a different setting. I am very optimistic and yes I have a good feeling this time around,” the leading run-scorer of the IPL opined.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Feeling In Mumbai Indians Camp Is Electric And Upbeat, We Hope To Continue From Where We Left In Dubai Last Season, Says Rohit Sharma