Captaincy change = Change in RCB's fortunes?
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and their star-studded lineup have always been the talk of the town before the start of IPL every single year but have failed to live up to their expectations each time. With a huge, vociferous fan base throughout the country, RCB fans have been longing to see their team go all the way and lift up the coveted trophy.
Virat Kohli, the captain of RCB has the distinction of being the only player in the history of the IPL to play for only a single franchise till date. While Kohli has proved to be a decisive leader and has cemented his position as one of the great captains for his national team in the long format, his decisions in the shorter formats of the game have been questionable at times.
AB de Villiers as RCB captain in 2019?
With the recent shocking loss in the ODI series at home against Australia from being 2-0 up in the 5 match series, there were a few decisions made by the captain which turned heads quite a bit, like regarding his team selection and finding the right middle order combination.
While his counterparts Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni have gone on to lead their respective franchises to not one but 3 titles each, Kohli is still looking to taste victory in the IPL despite finishing as runners up 3 times.
AB de Villiers, making a shock announcement last year by retiring from all formats of the game at the international level, might be playing his final IPL this year. With the burden of the World Cup off his shoulders, ABD will look to end on a high, giving something for his RCB fans to cheer about.
Should Kohli hand over the reins of the team to his comrade this year and concentrate just on his batting and fitness keeping in mind his role in India's campaign for the World Cup later this year? ABD is no stranger to leadership, having led South Africa in both the long and shorter formats of the game and can offer something fresh with his experience for the new squad.
It might be true that Kohli thrives when handling responsibilities but his record as RCB captain does not look even remotely close to the one he has as the Indian team skipper. Is it time for RCB to give Kohli a break from captaincy and try ABD as skipper which might be the decision that leads to them lifting the IPL trophy after 11 long years?