Virat Kohli reveals reason for stepping down from India and RCB captaincy

Virat Kohli, one of the most loved cricketers across the world recently shared the reason for stepping down as a captain of the Indian national team and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He reflected on the challenges of captaincy while speaking on the RCB’s Bold Diaries podcast. He also shared a rare glimpse into the mental and emotional demands of his roles.

The leadership burden

Virat Kohli expressed the pressure that he faced while leading India for 7-8 years and IPL franchise RCB for 9 years.

“ In every game, there were expectations from me as a batter," constant scrutiny of his captaincy or batting felt unrelenting to him. "I was exposed to it 24x7, and it got too much in the end,” he said. It pushed him to reconsider his role as a skipper.

Virat Kohli's captaincy exit

Virat Kohli’s stepping down from captaincy roles unfolded over time. It began after the 2021 T20 World Cup when he stepped down as India’s T20 captain. He later gave up RCB’s captaincy. In early 2022, after a Test series loss to South Africa, he resigned as Test captain.

Kohli's break from cricket

Virat Kohli took a month-long break from cricket in 2022, during that time, he didn’t touch a bat. Looking back at the break he said, “I reached a point where I wasn’t happy in the spotlight. If I have decided I want to be in this place, I need to be happy."

Virat Kohli's batting stats

In Tests: Virat Kohli has played 210 innings and scored 9230 in Tests so far. He has registered the highest score of 254* runs.

In ODIs: Virat Kohli has amassed 14181 runs including the highest score of 183. He has played 290 innings and has an average of 57.88. He has smashed 51 centuries and 74 half-centuries.

In T20Is: Virat Kohli has scored 4188 runs in 125 T20Is. He has a strike rate of 137.40 with one century and 38 fifties.

For RCB: Virat Kohli has played 255 innings and has accumulated 8509 runs. He is the only player in the history of IPL to cross the 8000-run mark. He has hit eight centuries and 62 fifties, so far.

Looking back at the early days

Virat Kohli gave credit for shaping his career to MS Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten. He appreciated that they entrusted him with the No. 3 batting position. “I was very realistic about my game. I didn’t feel I was close to others in terms of skill. The only thing I had was determination,” he said.