The only change for Virat Kohli in the impending season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season will be the fact that we will no longer captain Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He had stepped down from the role at the end of IPL 2021 and RCB named Faf du Plessis as their new skipper. However, legendary Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels that Kohli will have a bigger role to play and RCB will offer him that place in the IPL 2022 season.
After leading RCB in 140 matches since taking over the role in 2013, Kohli relinquished the leadership position last October, the first of the four captaincy positions he held in his cricket career. He was however retained by the franchise before the mega auction.
Speaking on Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, Irfan revealed details of his recent “great chat” with Kohli where the 33-year-old kept telling him that he wanted to enjoy his cricket. Irfan feels that RCB will allow him to fulfil his wish and feels that while Kohli is no longer the captain, he will surely be an on-field mentor for the team.
“I recently had a great chat with Virat Kohli and one thing he was constantly saying was that I want to enjoy my cricket, I want to go out there are express myself - and RCB will give him that kind of pleasure. He's not a captain, but he'll definitely be an on-field mentor for RCB and I think he will enjoy that role as well where he will, go out there and express himself,” he said.
The former India cricketer also backed Kohli to perform well in the 15th season of the IPL and hailed him as a “modern-day legend”.
{{/usCountry}}The former India cricketer also backed Kohli to perform well in the 15th season of the IPL and hailed him as a “modern-day legend”.
{{/usCountry}}“You play minimum 14 games and that is a lot for any cricketer, but for guys like Kohli who's been tremendous and is a modern day legend. There's no doubt about it. So many games He will definitely go out there and perform and we will see the Virat Kohli, the kind of expressive Kohli we see but more fun because he doesn't have that kind of responsibility right now being the captain and when you are a captain you are looking after the result, you're looking after the other team's strategy, the playing XI...he won't have that kind of responsibility he will love that,” he added.