Virat Kohli ready to reclaim the captaincy of RCB ahead of IPL 2025

The Royal Challengers Bangalore is arguably one of the most beloved franchises in the IPL. Despite never claiming the IPL Trophy, the team enjoys one of the highest fan followings among the ten teams. A key reason for RCB’s strong fan base is Virat Kohli’s presence in the squad. The modern-day legend has been part of the franchise since the league's inaugural season in 2008. Over the 15 years of IPL, many notable changes have taken place in and around RCB, but Kohli and the franchise have maintained a strong partnership. Now, as anticipation builds for IPL 2025 and with the retention deadline around the corner, an exciting update has emerged from the Bengaluru squad.

Virat Kohli in contention to reclaim the captaincy of RCB ahead of IPL 2025

Reportedly, Virat Kohli has held discussions with RCB stakeholders about reclaiming his leadership role in the franchise. Kohli captained RCB from 2013 to 2021 before stepping down prior to IPL 2022. Following his departure from the role, RCB acquired former South African captain Faf du Plessis in the mega auction and entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the team. Under du Plessis, RCB reached the playoffs twice, but their ultimate fate remained the same, as the team still lacked its maiden IPL title. Now, with du Plessis, aged 40, nearing the end of his career, RCB is in need of a captaincy candidate. According to the latest reports, the search may have concluded even before the IPL 2025 mega auction, as Virat Kohli has shown interest in reclaiming the team's captaincy.

If Kohli takes on the captaincy for RCB ahead of IPL 2025, it would mark his second leadership stint with the franchise. During his first tenure from 2013 to 2021, Kohli became one of the longest-serving IPL captains, joining ranks with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Over those years, he led RCB in 143 matches, a total surpassed only by MS Dhoni (226) and Rohit Sharma (158). His captaincy record includes 66 wins, 70 losses, three ties, and four no-results, resulting in a win rate of 46.15% and a win-loss ratio of 0.94.

Despite Kohli’s impressive individual performances, an IPL title remained elusive. His 2016 season stands out, as he scored a record-breaking 973 runs, the highest in a single IPL season, which propelled RCB to the finals. However, the team ultimately fell short, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the title clash. To date, Kohli holds the record for the most runs scored in a single IPL season. Furthermore, the former Indian skipper is also the league's all-time leading run-scorer.

Earlier, reports indicated that in their search for a captaincy candidate, RCB had approached Indian stalwart Shubman Gill. Gill assumed the captaincy of Gujarat Titans after Hardik Pandya left the franchise ahead of IPL 2024. However, Shubman Gill is expected to stay with GT as their top retention for IPL 2025. It was also reported that RCB is eyeing Rishabh Pant in the IPL 2025 mega auction if Delhi Capitals decide to release their captain. However, with Kohli now keen to don the captaincy cap for the fan-favorite franchise, it appears Bengaluru may have already ended their search for a new leader.