Virat Kohli, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from 2013 to 2021, relinquished captaincy on grounds of workload management. With RCB releasing Faf du Plessis in the 2024 mega auction, there were rumors about Kohli taking over the captaincy again. But the franchise recently made Rajat Patidar the new captain and ended all speculation.
RCB’s new signing, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, recently spoke about the change of guard, saying that he could sense Virat Kohli had no interest in resuming the captaincy.
Jitesh Sharma Heard About Patidar’s Captaincy Like Everybody Else
In an interview with the CriXtasy podcast, Jitesh said he, along with everyone else, did not know about Patidar’s appointment until it was officially announced.
“No, I found out about Rajat Patidar’s captaincy when everyone else did. But when you play a lot of cricket, you can sense these things. Like Virat Bhai did not want to captain this side. I don’t know why he did not want to captain. I am not part of the management side of things. When I retire from cricket and come into management, I will tell you such things. But for now, Virat bhai had not been captaining since the last 2-3 years, so it felt that he would not do it this year as well. So, I think, Rajat was the best option,” Sharma said.
Virat Kohli had resigned as RCB captain after the 2021 IPL season and retired from T20Is later after India’s success at the 2024 T20 World Cup. RCB formally appointed Rajat Patidar as captain at an event in Bengaluru last month.
RCB Director of Cricket Discusses Leadership Decision
RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat admitted that Kohli was certainly a candidate to be captain but was quick to point out that the talismanic batter does not require a title to inspire.
“Of course, Virat was an option and that goes without saying and I know that the fans would’ve probably lent towards Virat in the first instance, but we’ve seen a lot of love for Rajat too. Look, my point on Virat would be that Virat doesn’t need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we’ve all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless,” Bobat elucidated in the announcement of Patidar as RCB’s new captain.
Jitesh Sharma Ready to Back Patidar’s Leadership
Jitesh Sharma, who was bought by RCB for Rs 11 crore in the 2024 mega auction, came out in support of the new captain and promised to work for the success of the team.
“Rajat definitely deserves the captaincy. He has given his services to RCB for so many years. I have played a lot of cricket with Rajat. I would definitely help him with the captaincy,” Sharma said.
With Patidar in charge, RCB begins a new chapter, and though Kohli might not sport the captain’s armband, his leadership presence will still be felt on and off the field.
