Virat Kohli had to see his beloved Royal Challengers Bangalore getting knocked out of another season of the Indian Premier League, and although he has had a fair share of experience of dealing with such failure as a captain, the latest one in this edition was more meaningful and disappointing.
After the defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders, that drew curtains on his side in IPL 2021 and his era of leadership at the RCB franchise, Kohli said that he envisioned creating an open culture that could allow young players to play freely and express their style of game.
Kohli took over the captaincy of the RCB way back in the 2013 edition and could not manage to lift the trophy even once, but he said that there was no lack of effort and commitments from his side, and rather he has tried more than 100 per cent to make the RCB champions.
“I’ve tried my best to create a culture where youngsters could come and play expressive cricket. It's something I've tried to do at the India level as well. All I can say is that I have given my best. I have given my 120% to this franchise and will continue giving it as a player on the field,” Kohli said in the post-match interview with the host broadcaster Star Sports.
In the video where he announced his decision to quit captaincy, he had also said that his association with the RCB will last till he plays in the tournament and he reiterated the point once again. He said that for him loyalty matters the most and that his commitment to the franchise will not subside till the last ball of his career.
“It’s a great time to regroup and restructure the franchise for the next three years. I will definitely (play for RCB). For me loyalty matters and my commitment is with this franchise till the last day I play IPL,” he concluded.
RCB’s departure from the tournament ignited strong opinions from both his fans and critics. While his fans were recognising his long service and commitment to the side, his critics reminded Twitter about his failure as captain.
His fans ran a campaign on the line of #ThankYou and #skipper after the game against the KKR.