REVEALED! Why Virat Kohli DECLINED Offer to Captain RCB in IPL 2025?
Virat Kohli has been a part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL franchise since it's inception.
- SportFit
- 2 min read

Virat Kohli has been a part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL franchise since it's inception. He has also led the side from 2013 to 2021. Unfortunately, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru still remain one of the few franchises to win an IPL crown. Ahead of the 2025 season of the cash-rich league, there were whispers that Kohli may return as the captain of the side. In fact, reports suggest he was also placed the offer to lead the franchise again. But, that did not happen, as the management named Rajat Patidar as the captain for the upcoming season.
WHY KOHLI DECLINED THE CHANCE TO LEAD RCB, AGAIN?
And hence, this is the question - why did Kohli decline the offer to lead RCB again? Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth reckons he has the answer. As per Srikkanth, Kohli did not want to take up the burden of leading the side as he wanted to focus on his batting.
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“He would have said 'I want to focus on batting'” - Srikkanth
"I think Virat would have said no to the captaincy. He would have said 'I want to focus on batting'. I think all this must have happened in consultation with Virat Kohli," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel 'Cheeky Cheeka'.
"Rajat Patidar is a good choice. He has been doing well in the IPL. The good things is he will not have a lot of expectations. When we appointed Dhoni in 2007 as the T20 World Cup captain, not a lot was expected of him and the team. It's a bit like that...Expectations from Rajat Patidar as a captain are not high. He will take his own calls. He will consult Virat Kohli, who will be a guiding force," he added.
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The schedule for the upcoming season is expected to be announced soon. RCB would be hoping to start afresh under a new captain.