IPL 2022: Mike Hesson Explains Why Virat Kohli Won't Return As RCB Captain
Published - 13 Mar 2022, 12:26 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:05 AM
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson has said that the former RCB captain Virat Kohli wants to enjoy his time as a senior player and as a batsman in the team and the team management respects his decision.
Virat Kohli had stepped down as Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper after the Indian Premier League 2021 and veteran Proteas batsman Faf du Plessis, who was bought for INR 7 crore at the Indian Premier League 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru, has been appointed as the new skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the Indian Premier League 2022.
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Speaking at the RCB Unbox event on Saturday, Hesson talked about the real reason behind not reappointing Kohli as skipper and said:
“Virat has given absolutely everything to this franchise as a captain. He has given his heart and soul. It is pretty apparent that when you resign from a role, you want a break. He wants to enjoy his time at RCB as a senior player and as a batsman and we are very respectful of that as well.”
He added that they spoke to Kohli before appointing Faf du Plessis as captain. He asserted:
“Just because the situation has changed within here doesn’t mean that the situation has changed in terms of him wanting to come and win games for RCB. We spoke to Virat about the leadership options and Faf was someone he was really excited about. I have also leaned on AB de Villiers for his thoughts as well,”
Mike Hesson further said that Kohli will be able to play with a bit more freedom after leaving the captaincy. He elaborated:
“Virat has set a standard that’s very hard to maintain. His ability to convert is second to none. So when he doesn’t convert for a period of time, we start to worry. So when he gets 1, he will get 3 or 4. The fact that he’s still rated in the top 5 Test players in the world suggests that he is still getting pretty good output in terms of his runs. He is still scoring hard runs, which can often be underestimated. The fact that he’s not going to captain RCB this year will allow him to play with a bit more freedom.”
He’s not a Hardik Pandya-type finisher but is able to access different areas – Mike Hesson on Dinesh Karthik
“We look at Dinesh Karthik’s experience and the fact that he has been a proven performer for a very long period of time and is very well respected. He’s played a number of different roles in different franchises, which gives him the experience to share that with others.”
Mike Hesson said that Karthik has done wicket-keeping in the presence of mystery spinners like Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine in his team. He added that Karthik will be playing the role of a finisher in the team and said that he has “sneaky power” and is not a Hardik Pandya-type finisher. He elaborated:
“He’s kept to mystery spinners during his time and which is a skill that he can pass on to not only our bowling group, but the batting group as well. But his experience, it’s been like the spine of any side. You need experience in key roles and being a keeper is one of those key roles and being a finisher too. He can be a finisher. He’s got what I call sneaky power. He’s not a Hardik Pandya-type finisher, but is able to access different areas.”
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