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The return of Virat Kohli as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the upcoming IPL 2025 season has ignited excitement among the franchise's fans. The news came amidst the announcement of RCB's retentions, which included Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. The retention of Kohli for a whopping INR 21 crore, however, strongly suggests his return to the captaincy role he relinquished in 2021.
Former Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif offered his perspective on Kohli's decision, suggesting that his recent success in winning the T20 World Cup under the leadership of Rohit Sharma could have influenced his desire to lead RCB again. Kaif believes that Kohli's experience under Rohit Sharma's captaincy may have instilled in him new leadership strategies, contributing to his eagerness to take the reins of RCB. He stated, “Kohli left the captaincy and asked the franchise to look for someone else, citing that he was playing well but unable to make the team a champion side. But now it could be the case where he is coming from a triumphant T20 World Cup campaign and inspired by Rohit Sharma. Because with age, you grow and get better. So, if Virat Kohli has learned the art of winning trophies by spending time with Rohit and thinking that, ‘I have learned a few new things and will apply those to lead RCB to a title win,’ then why not.”
While Kohli's retention as a player and the strong possibility of him leading RCB have been widely reported, RCB Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, confirmed that the franchise has yet to make a final decision on the captaincy for the upcoming season. Bobat clarified that while the franchise is grateful for Faf du Plessis' contributions as captain, they will not be retaining him and he will be available in the upcoming IPL auction. The focus for RCB will be to consider all factors, including the captaincy, during the auction planning process.