Virat Kohli is gearing up for the IPL where he will once again play for Royal Challengers Bangalore – a team he has just stepped down as captain. One of the franchise’s first players, Kohli was retained by RCB in 2011 and briefed him about his future plans.
“I remember we were playing the Champions League in South Africa and Ray Jennings and Siddharth Mallya approached me, saying they only wanted to keep me, and they were looking to build a whole new team around me.”
“I said it’s great, and that’s the opportunity I’m looking for. I told him very clearly that the only condition was that I would bat at number three and nowhere else. He said it quite right. I knew that. I can do something special for the team. I have no problem accepting the responsibility,” Kohli said.
It has been more than a decade since Virat Kohli wore the RCB jersey and there was no looking back. He entered the franchise after winning the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia and was first included in the RCB squad after he was bought in the IPL auction. But it was not easy for King Kohli to cement his place in the playing XI. In his early years, at least for the first three, he had to bat at number five. Speaking on the RCB podcast, he revealed how he told the coach and the team owner that he wanted to bat at three.
Meanwhile, ahead of this high-pressure tournament, Kohli took some time off as can be seen from this Instagram picture where he can be seen lying on the grass. “The earth has music for those who hear.”
Whatever I am today would not have been possible without Virat Kohli: Mohammad Siraji
Virat Kohli’s tenure as captain of India and RCB has come to an end but his legacy lives on. Under his leadership, India turned into a force to be reckoned with in the fast bowling department. The former captain brought about a fitness revolution in the team which helped the Indian fast bowlers to perform at their best. In red-ball cricket, India produced many memorable performances courtesy of their fast bowlers. Kohli backed his pace unit in every situation as Jasprit Bumrah turned into an unstoppable force while Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma found their best form in the red ball. In the last leg of his captaincy, Kohli backed his RCB teammate Mohammad Siraj in the Indian team and turned him into a world-class bowler by supporting him during tough times.
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