Having already announced that he will not be captaining India in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) after the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli on Sunday night dropped another bombshell. The 32-year-old, in an emotional video shared by the franchise on their social media handles, said that he will be stepping down as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore after IPL 2021. Kohli, though, made it clear that he will continue to be "an RCB player till I play my last IPL game". Kohli's announcement sent shockwaves across the cricketing world.
RCB fans were left heartbroken by Kohli's announcement and took to Twitter to make their feelings known.
"It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years," Virat Kohli said in an official statement.
"It wasn't an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise. The RCB family remains close to my heart as we continue to strive to achieve excellence. As I have mentioned previously in many occasions, I will only play for RCB until my retirement from the game of cricket", he added.
Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore return to IPL action on Monday. They take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the second match of IPL 2021's UAE leg.
RCB players will surely go all out in the remainder of the season to win the team's first title in what will be Virat Kohli's final season as captain of the franchise.
RCB are in a strong position in the IPL points table, having won five of their seven matches before the tournament was postponed.