3 times Virat Kohli was the perfect skipper for RCB
Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are inseparable. He joined the Bangalore franchise in 2008 and is the only player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to have played for a single side since the inception of the tournament.
Following Daniel Vettori’s retirement, Kohli took over as full-time RCB skipper in 2013 before stepping down from the post after IPL 2021. Although Bangalore never won the T20 league under him, the 33-year-old had a decent overall record as leader. He led the RCB in 140 matches, winning 64 and losing 69 - a win percentage of 48.16.
The star batter is second on the list of players who have led an IPL franchise in most matches, only behind MS Dhoni (204). He also holds the record for having scored the most runs as captain in the IPL - 4881 runs at an average of 42.07 and a strike rate of 133.32.
When Kohli impressed as RCB captain
With Kohli’s stint as RCB skipper having ended, we look at three instances when he proved to be the perfect captain for his IPL franchise.
#1 Leading from the front in 2016
Having settled into his role as RCB captain, Kohli came into his own as a batter during the 2016 season. He led from the front quite literally. Opening the batting, he amassed 973 runs in 16 matches at an average of 81.08 and an amazing strike rate of 152.03. No batter has scored more runs in a single edition of the IPL.
In IPL 2016, he smashed four hundreds and seven fifties. His tons came at an incredibly quick pace too. Two of his centuries came against Gujarat Lions - 109 off 55 and 100 off 63. Kohli also blazed his way to 113 off 50 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and 108 off 58 against Rising Pune Supergiant.
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The RCB skipper played a major role in the franchise reaching the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, Bangalore fell short of lifting their maiden title as they went down by eight runs in a high-scoring summit clash. Chasing 208, RCB ended on 200, with the skipper contributing 54 from 35.
#2 Playing second fiddle when needed
Despite being the captain and star player of the franchise, Kohli has had no qualms about playing second fiddle when needed. This has been evident more than once over the years. A prime example of his willingness to play a supporting role came to the fore during IPL 2020.
In an encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on a sluggish surface in Sharjah, all the batters except AB de Villiers struggled. For a change, the RCB skipper too found the going difficult. However, with the South African legend going strong, Kohli did not see any reason to throw his wicket away. He was content giving de Villiers the strike.
Kohli and de Villiers featured in an unbroken third-wicket stand of 100. While the RCB skipper remained unbeaten on 33 off 28, his partner blazed away to 73 off 33. Kohli’s so-called arrogant nature has often been questioned. However, over the years, there have been many Sharjah-like days when the RCB captain has been happy to shed the superstar tag and grind it out.
#3 Backing an under-fire Harshal Patel
After his fifer on Day 2 of the Cape Town Test against South Africa, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah hailed Kohli for always backing and supporting the bowlers. The RCB skipper did the same with pacer Harshal Patel during IPL 2021, at a time when the seamer was finding the going tough.
Following an impressive start to the season, during which he claimed a five-for against Mumbai Indians (MI), Patel lost his way. He was clobbered for five sixes and a four in an over by Ravindra Jadeja in a match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mumbai. Patel also conceded 53 from his quota of four overs in a game against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Ahmedabad.
Despite the disappointing returns, Kohli did not give up on Patel. The latter had been picked as RCB’s designated death bowler by the skipper, who stuck to him in the second half of IPL 2021 as well. Patel repaid the faith through some brilliant performances in the UAE. He picked up a hat-trick against MI and ended the season with a record-equalling 32 wickets in 15 matches.
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With a bit of luck, Patel could have broken the record for the most wickets by a bowler in an IPL season. And while a lot of credit for the amazing success should go to the hardworking bowler, the performances wouldn’t have come without the unwavering backing of Kohli.