IPL 2021: Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain at the end of this season

Virat Kohli announced on Sunday that the ongoing 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be his last season as the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

This is a second big announcement coming from the Indian skipper this week after he had announced he would quit as India's T20 captain after the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Kohli, who has been an RCB player since the inaugural season in 2008, took over the team's captaincy from New Zealand's Daniel Vettori in 2011. As the RCB skipper, Kohli has so far secured 60 wins, 65 losses, three ties and four no results in as many as 132 matches.

"It has been a great and 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," Kohli told RCB's official website on Sunday.

Ahead of the 2022 season, two more teams are set to be added to the tournament and a mega auction would take place. As per IPL's rules, each franchise will be allowed to retain just two players from their current squad.

In the interview on Sunday, Kohli also said that he would remain an RCB player until his retirement from cricket.

"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," added Kohli, who is yet to win the IPL trophy.

Under Kohli's captaincy, RCB have qualified for the IPL once – in 2016, where they lost to David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

In the list of most matches as captain in the IPL, Kohli stands second with 132 games, below record-holder MS Dhoni, who has captained 196 times in the tournament across two franchises (Chennai and Pune).

RCB are currently third in the IPL 2021 points table with five wins in seven matches. The second leg of the IPL 2021 resumed on Sunday (Sept. 19) and RCB will be in action on Monday as they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Abu Dhabi. Kohli has scored 198 runs in seven matches at an average of 33 in the IPL 2021.