Dubai: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have tried every trick in the book to end their title drought in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Red and Black jerseys have come close to winning the title over the last 17 editions but stumbled at the finish line, ending as runners-up three times.
The Search for a winning formula
The Bengaluru outfit brought in some of the best names in the Twenty20 format, yet they couldn’t clinch the title. In 2021, they opted for a change in leadership, replacing the iconic Virat Kohli with South African star Faf du Plessis. However, the results remained the same, with RCB losing in the playoffs twice in the last three years.
In another move, they even renamed the franchise from Royal Challengers Bangalore to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, aligning it with the official city name.
A captaincy comeback
Now, according to media reports in India, RCB team management plans to reinstate Kohli as skipper ahead of the mega auction for the 2025 season. The 35-year-old previously led RCB from 2013 to 2021, with the team topping the league standings in 2011.
With du Plessis now aged 40 and other candidates like Shubman Gill unlikely to be released by the Gujarat Titans, RCB management, under Zimbabwean coach Andy Flower, is understood to have offered the captaincy back to Kohli, who seems ready to accept the challenge and pursue his long-held dream of an IPL title.
However, his first task as skipper will be to put up a team that has the capability to fill all the gaps that has been sinking the RCB ship in the past years. The team, reportedly, is going for Rishabh Pant, which will help them create a new brigade to lead RCB into the future.
When du Plessis was leading the side, one foreign pro's slot is always taken by him. However, with Kohli leading the side, it will allow RCB the option to go for the right choice suitable for the conditions and the opposition.
The Indian talisman, a pillar of Indian batting since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, has yet to win a major title as a captain despite his illustrious career, apart from the Under-19 World Cup. This leadership role provides him another chance to silence critics.
Kohli leads the IPL scoring charts, with 8,004 runs in 244 innings in the world’s richest franchise league. He showcased his hunger for runs by winning the Orange Cap for the highest run-scorer during the 2024 season, amassing 741 runs at a career-high strike rate of 154.70. His performance silenced critics who had previously questioned his scoring rate.
While stepping down from the captaincy, Kohli said, “I will continue to be an RCB player till I play my last game in the IPL. But it’s been a great journey of nine years of joy, frustration, moments of happiness and sadness, and I just want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and believing in me relentlessly and unconditionally.”
A lifelong bond with RCB
Though not in the captaincy role, Kohli remained deeply involved with the team, providing input to du Plessis and stepping in as leader during the South African’s absence. Kohli continues to enjoy a strong bond with the Bengaluru fans, who chanted his name during the Test series between India and New Zealand in October.
“And I will continue to be committed to play for this franchise as I said till the last day of me playing IPL… for you guys, for the fans, because of what you’ve done for me and how you’ve made me feel over the last so many years, that is going to stay with me for the rest of my life,” he said.
King Kohli is now padded up for his second innings as skipper. He has been wiser over the years of maturity as a cricketer and the roller-coster ride he has been having in the last few years must have steeled his nerves even better. Fans can expect him to be at his ruthless best in pursuit of the elusive IPL trophy.
