IPL 2021: Could Kohli lose RCB captaincy midway?

HE has already announced his decision to step down from the captaincy of Royal Challenges Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the current edition gets over but if reports are to be believed, Virat Kohli could face the axe even before the timeline that he has set.

Indo-Asian News Service cited a former India cricket as saying on the condition of anonymity that the 33-year-old batsman’s stint with the RCB leadership could end mid-way through the tournament which resumed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday (19) after a gap of five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

“Look at the way he was playing against Kolkata Knight Riders. Just clueless! It seems he is struggling big time right now. There are chances that he could be removed mid-way through the season. It has happened earlier also with other teams -- like with Dinesh Karthik in KKR and David Warner in Sunrisers Hyderabad, among others.

ALSO READ: KKR bundle out Kohli's RCB for 92

They were either removed or they stepped down mid-way. So it can happen in RCB as well... I have this feeling after watching yesterday’s match. One more bad game and you can see a change in RCB captaincy right away,” the former India cricketer was quoted as saying by the agency.

The speculation is more rife following Bangalore’s meek surrender in their first game post resumption against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi. Kohli’s men were bundled out for a paltry 92 and KKR knocked off the runs in only 10 overs and lost just one wicket. Kohli, who opened the innings, fell for only five runs. It was RCB’s sixth-lowest total in IPL and hurt their net run-rate even though they are still placed well in the points table with 10 points from eight games.

IPL 2021: Punjab snatch defeat from jaws of victory 

The ace batsman was trapped before the wickets to Kolkata pacer Prasidh Krishna in the second over. A poor review call didn’t help him either. The captain’s body language also looked uninspiring, something which is not seen in his case. His decision to step down as the skipper of the RCB after the current edition might have played a part in that. Kohli has also decided to step down from the T20 captaincy of the national team after the World Cup starting next month in the UAE and Oman.

Experts not happy with timing of Kohli's decision

Kohli’s decision to step down from the RCB captaincy also faced ire from former cricketer Gautam Gambhir who questioned the timing and said he could have done it after the IPL got over. Some also suggested that the team looked “unsettled” by the announcement.

Kohli to step down from India T20 captaincy after World Cup

Kohli has been one of the longest-serving captains in the tournament, after having taken over the reins from Daniel Vettori to lead RCB since 2013. Under him, the side has won 62 out of 132 games, lost 66 while four were inconclusive. Kohli could take the team to the final only once (2016) but it lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad closely in the final. As a batsman, Kohli has played 200 matches in the IPL, scoring 6,081 runs (highest ever) at an average of 37.77 with five centuries and 40 fifties.

This year, the RCB started off well by winning their first four games. However, only one win in the next four have seen them slipping from the top position in the points table.

Veteran batsman AB de Villiers could replace Kohli as the next captain but there is also a possibility of him not accepting the offer. India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could also be in the race due to his seniority. But given the trend set up in other teams where youngsters like Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson have been picked as captains, the in-form Devdutt Padikkal could also be made Kohli’s successor. He is also considered to be among the favourites of the outgoing captain.