Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after completion of IPL 2021

In a massive breaking development, Virat Kohli in a video message has confirmed that he will step down as the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore after the end of the IPL 2021 season. The Indian skipper confirmed that he will play his last match in the RCB till the end, however, will not be leading the team as captain.

“This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," Kohli said.

 In IPL 2021, the RCB has won 5 out of seven matches. However, the team is yet to lift their first Indian Premier League trophy This news comes days after Kohli announced that he will step down as India's T20 captain after the T20 world cup. 

Kohli has been associated with the RCB since 2008 and is leading the team in red since 2013. He was appointed as the successor of Daniel Vettori. So far the side has won 62 of the 132 matches played under Kohli with 6 no results and 66 losses. Their best campaign came in 2016 when they reached the finals.

Virat Kohli to step down as India's T20 captain

In a statement on September 17, Kohli said that ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Dubai will be his last as the skipper of the T20 Indian team. "I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn't have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win," Kohli said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward," he added.

Adding that it took him a "lot of time" to arrive at this decision, Virat confirmed that he has shared the same information with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and President Sourav Ganguly along with his selectors. "I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability," he said.