And in the days that’ll follow, well after he stepped aside, if not putting the sword down,
They’ll continue to pass snide judgement and question whether he was ready, in the first place, for the crown!
Who do you like more- Virat Kohli the captain or the batsman? That completely depends on how you view records achieved vis-à-vis team goals, right?
And where the former is concerned, which also points to the foremost strength of Virat Kohli, the talent, it’s batting and in his ebb rests a record that’d make the quintuplet of Gayle, Dhoni, Pollard, De Villiers and McCullum greats of the format, join hands in admiration.
Something that’s frankly as inspiring as it is envy inducing.
No other batsman has so far, since the inception of the IPL, managed to score 6,000 runs in the league except Virat Kohli.
But where the latter, i.e., captaincy is concerned, then perhaps best to say that Virat Kohli, should one put it most gracefully, isn’t the most successful IPL leader in the league’s history or from the standpoint of his team.
That perhaps explains why he is stepping down, unless and until, the fans and the larger cricket community, of course, do not get to know what could so often be the game.
What’s that?
The larger story that happens the last spot where the fan doesn’t yet have any access- the decision making room.
And that’s the best for the sport.
For with all due respect, the fan without whom the sport wouldn’t be half as entertaining and meaningful as it is, cannot be made the selector or the decision-taker, isn’t it?
Were that to happen, the boundaries would evaporate and the cricket turf would be a place that’d run riot with a Jumanji of emotions, including the good and bad both: biased adulations, rational opinions, memes, snide remarks, tears of passion, cries of agony and whatnot.
Which is why, and it’s a humble suggestion, those who’d most likely be heartbroken hearing the news of Virat Kohli’s stepping down from the captaincy role at the RCB should take the great batsman’s decision in their stride and chin up.
For honestly, the cricket world minus a talent like Virat Kohli would be a poorer place.
Then simply imagine the repercussions had the right-hander not been in the IPL in the first place?
Somethings, it ought to be said, are in the best interest of the team.
That Kohli’s not necessarily presided over the greatest bowling unit in the shortest format of the game, one ever so tied to the batsmen is visible. It’s true. Cannot and must not be denied.
Much like saying the wristy whips that Kohli does, every now and again, to hit the most effortless boundaries hold no meaning and aren’t a sight!
Back in 2016, he touched 1,000 IPL runs and crossed the insane barrier. What a bat. But what about the knight? Has he inspired his team to a title triumph?
Perhaps 2021, you’d reckon, given the Bengaluru-based franchise is in peak form, is his biggest shot at redemption if one were to call it. As a matter of fact, it’s his last chance.
Before we pass our ruling on Kohli’s failures as captain of the RCB, perhaps only fair to think that the great batsman cannot do the job of the bowlers to restrict the opponents and on days where the finest batters, Mr. de Villiers included, fail to fire, defend a small total.
Here are Virat Kohli’s words about the decision to step down as RCB captain:
“Hello everyone! To the whole RCB family. The fans, the amazing fans of Bangalore and everyone who has been a supporter of RCB for so many years. I had an announcement to make. Just spoken to the squad this evening. Before the second leg of the tournament starts, to inform everyone that this is going to be my last leg in the IPL as captain of RCB. I spoke to the management this evening. It was something that was on my mind for a while. As I recently announced, stepping down from the T20I captaincy as well. My workload, which has been immense for the last so many years. I want to be able to be committed to the responsibilities that I am fulfilling, and I felt that I needed the space to refresh, to regroup and to be absolutely clear in how I want to move forward.“
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“And also understanding that RCB is going to go through a big transitional phase. There is a big auction coming up next year. I have made it clear to the management that I can’t think of being in any other team than RCB and that has been my commitment from day one. I will continue to be an RCB player till I play my last game in the IPL. It has been a great journey of 9 years, of joy and frustration, of moments of happiness and sadness. I just want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and believing in me relentlessly and unconditionally. I will continue to be committed to play for this franchise as I said till the last day of me playing IPL. For you guys, for the fans, because of what you have done for me and how you have made me feel for the last so many years, that is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you so much! this is just a little halt and not the end of the journey. The journey will continue, and it will continue the same way that it has for so many years.”