Virat Kohli is all set to return as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain from the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is understood that Kohli has already had discussions with the management and wants to step up at a time when there is a leadership vacuum in the RCB camp.
Faf du Plessis, 40, led the franchise in the last cycle (2022-24) but with age not on his side, Kohli will return with the armband for the new cycle.
#IPL 2025: Who will lead RCB this year? Virat Kohli could well take it back!
The franchise has never won an IPL trophy and with the mega auction less than a month away, they have put the leadership piece in place and would now hope to fill in the crucial blanks when the bidding war begins.
Kohli led RCB from 2013 to 2021 and the side reached the playoffs on four occasions, and came agonisingly close to winning the title in 2016, where they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.
The 35-year-old had stepped down from RCB captaincy in 2021, days after announcing his decision to leave India’s T20I leadership role as well, but reiterated that he will play his last IPL game for the franchise only and has never had thoughts of moving base.
“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.
“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,” Kohli had said three years ago.
Even without the official armband, Kohli has been the defacto leader in the setup and there wasn’t a moment in the last three years where he seemed switched off or casually fielding in the deep. He was always 100% involved and was regularly in captain Du Plessis’ ear during crunch situations.
RCB were looking elsewhere for captaincy options, too, but felt Kohli was the right man to take the team forward in the cash-rich league.
It is understood that Shubman Gill was on their radar and the franchise desperately wanted him on board but it didn’t materialise, and there is a strong possibility of them going after Rishabh Pant at the mega auction too.
Kohli the captain, Kohli the player have unfinished business in the IPL and it remains to be seen whether 2025 could be that year.
