Virat Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Captain Virat Kohlicaptaincy in IPL Monday came to an end as their outfit suffered a four-wicket loss to two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator of IPL 2021 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Kohli, who was captaining RCB last time, made a controversial decision by opting to bat on a slower surface, which also turned. Sunil Narine Took 4/21 in his four overs, broke Bangalore’s batting line-up and restricted them to 138/7 in 20 overs. In reply, Kolkata crossed the finish line with two balls to spare.
Kohli was appointed as the captain of RCB before the 2013 IPL season, succeeding outgoing captain Daniel Vettori. Since then, he has led the Bangalore franchise to 66 wins in 150 matches and an appearance in the IPL finals.
Kohli’s tenure as RCB captain included two wooden spoon finishes, 70 losses and four games that did not yield results for the team. The 32-year-old has also announced that he will step down from the T20I captaincy of the Indian team after the upcoming World T20 in UAE and Oman.
After the defeat, Kohli chose “loyalty” over “worldly pleasures”, adding that he would hang his shoes only in RCB’s colours. Many fans backed Bangalore on Kohli’s swansong to win the elusive IPL title and their leader said that he has given his 120 per cent for the franchise.
“Yeah definitely, I don’t see myself playing anywhere else. Loyalty to me matters more than worldly pleasures. I will be at RCB till the last day of playing in IPL,” he said after the competition.
“I have tried my best to create a culture here where the youth can come and play with freedom and confidence. This is something that I have done with India as well. I have given my best.
“I don’t know how the reaction has been, but I have given 120% to this franchise every time, which is what I will do now as a player. This is a good time to regroup and restructure for the next three years. Those who will take it forward,” he added.
During the match, Kohli thought it was a trio of three Shakib Al Hasan, Naren and Varun Chakraborty who tilted the match in favor of Kolkata. He also admitted that the par score could have been around 155.
“There was a difference in the middle overs where his spinners dominated the game. He kept bowling in tight areas and taking wickets. We got off to a great start and it was about quality bowling and not bad batting. They absolutely deserve to win it and may be in the next round.
“Fifteen runs short of the bat and a few big overs with the ball cost us. Sunil Narine has always been a quality bowler and today he showed it once again. Shakib, Varun and they created the pressure and our batsmen didn’t. Let’s get in the middle of the stampede,” he signed.
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