It has been revealed that RCB legend Virat Kohli is likely to lead the team for the IPL season 2025. According to reports, Kohli is interested in reclaiming his spot as skipper of the RCB. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer might put their names in the auction pool. RCB will go for the big names in the auction pool and if they miss them, mostly Kohli will step up as captain for them in the upcoming edition of the IPL.
Faf du Plessis who turned 40 this July, is not a perfect fit for captaincy, RCB might release him in the upcoming auction. He led the franchise for the last three seasons (2022-2024) and took his team to playoffs twice.
Kohli has been loyal to the RCB franchise since 2008 and first led the side in 2013. He played 143 IPL matches as captain and won 66 of them. It puts his win percentage at 46.15%. His closest run for title was in IPL 2016 where Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated RCB in their home turf.
Virat Kohli is very keen to return as RCB Captain again. ❤️🔥
(ESPN Cricinfo Chatters)#ViratKohli #RCB #IPL2025pic.twitter.com/G6srWktlgC
— Ritesh Sharma (@Ritesh_Sharma11) October 29, 2024
Mid-way through the season of 2021 IPL Kohli decided to step down from the captaincy and focus on his individual performance.
New RCB Captain: Pant, Rahul or Iyer?
India’s star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant led DC in 2021 for the first time due to Shreyas Iyer’s injury. Pant has featured in 43 IPL matches as captain and won 23 of them and has an impressive winning percentage of 53.48%. Due to his attacking approach in captaincy and batting, he might be a good choice for the Bangalore-based franchise.
Shyer Iyer who has led DC and KKR from 2018-2024, led his teams in 70 games in which he won 38 matches with a 54.28% winning percentage. He also won the title for KKR in the last edition of IPL(2024).
Wicket-keeper batsman, Rahul who was the captain of KXIP, LSG, and PBKS from 2020-2024, has won 31 matches from 64 and has a 48.43% winning rate. Kohli and Rahul both play anchor innings which may be a problem for RCB as they will look for a more aggressive batsman.
Kohli might play one or two seasons, and RCB may show their trust in him by giving him chance to win their maiden title, recognizing his loyalty to the franchise since his debut in 2008.
Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
