"Virat Kohli doesn't need captaincy"- RCB Director Mo Bobat
Published - 13 Feb 2025, 03:32 PM | Updated - 13 Feb 2025, 03:33 PM
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have put an end to speculation about Virat Kohli returning to lead the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season. RCB's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, revealed that Kohli was an option for the role, but they decided to move forward with Rajat Patidar.
There were speculations about Kohli returning as captain of the Royal Challengers since the franchise revealed its three retained players in November. The 36-year-old led RCB with passion and dedication for 10 years. However, it seemed unlikely that he would reclaim the position after stepping down.
We Felt Quite Strongly That an Indian Captain Was Preferable - Mo Bobat
On Thursday, Rajat Patidar was officially named the new captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Virat Kohli extended his best wishes to Patidar for his leadership role. Adding to the intrigue, Mo Bobat admitted that Kohli was considered as an option for the captaincy before the team chose Patidar.
Bobat revealed selecting between an Indian or overseas captain was an important discussion point for them. He stated that they felt an Indian captain was preferable, adding the value of local knowledge and insight for the role.
"To choose from, you know, whether we went Indian or overseas was an important discussion point for us. We felt quite strongly that an Indian captain was preferable. That's nothing against any overseas options," Bobat said.
"Of course, you know, we've talked glowingly about that, but we looked really keenly at an Indian option, primarily because it's an Indian competition on Indian pitches against predominantly Indian players. So somebody who's got that local knowledge and insight is really, really helpful for us. So, look, lots of options," he added.
Virat Kohli Was an Option - Mo Bobat
Mo Bobat confirmed that Virat Kohli was considered for the captaincy, adding that many fans would have loved his return. However, he stated that Kohli doesn't need the title to lead, as leadership comes naturally to him.
"Of course, Virat was an option. You know, that goes without saying, and I know that the fans would have probably leaned towards Virat in the first instance, but we've seen a lot of look for Rajat too. Look, my point on Virat would be that Virat doesn't need a captaincy title to lead," Bobat said.
"I think leadership, as we've all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to let me lead regardless. For us, even last year with Fafa's captain, we saw every bit of that. He leads, as an example, with the back, the volume of runs, and the strike rate that he scored out last year was so impressive and so important for us. He set the tone. He leads in the field."
Virat Kohli Stepped Down as RCB Captain After IPL 2021
Virat Kohli stepped down as RCB's captain after IPL 2021, with Faf du Plessis taking over and leading the team for three seasons. The Bengaluru-based franchise reached the playoffs twice in the last three seasons. Notably, they qualified for the knockout stage despite losing seven of their first eight games.
Rajat Patidar played a crucial role in RCB's playoff run last season, scoring 395 runs at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 177.13, including five half-centuries. Notably, the 31-year-old was unsold at the 2022 auction but joined as a replacement player and quickly became an integral part of the team.
