Virat Kohli reveals why he gave up RCB captaincy
In the space of months, Virat Kohli is no longer leading the Indian limited-overs sides, the Test team and also his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. The veteran former Indian skipper stepped down from the RCB role soon after announcing that the 2021 T20 World Cup would be his last as T20I captain.
Revealing more details about his decision on the RCB podcast, Virat Kohli said.
“I’m not someone who holds onto things more than I should. Even if I know I can do a lot more, if I’m not going to enjoy the process, I’m not going to do it,” Kohli said in the podcast.
“Because it’s very difficult for people to understand your decisions unless they are in your situation. From the outside, people have their own expectations Oh! How did that happen? We are so shocked’,” added Kohli, who is on the verge of playing his 100th Test. There’s nothing to be shocked about. I explain to people, I wanted some space and I wanted to manage my workload and the story ends there.”
While there have been rumours about Kohli being asked to step down from the role, the skipper clarified that it was his own decision.
Virat Kohli clarifies why he stepped down as RCB captain
“There was actually nothing at all. I keep my life very simple and basic, when I wanted to make a decision, I made a decision and I announced it.”
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“I didn’t want to think about it and contemplate it for another year. That would’ve done nothing to me, nothing to the environment I’m part of. Quality of life is something very important to me. And the quality of cricket is something very important to me.
“Over a period of time, you want to do what you’re doing day-in-and-day-out and you want to do as much as you can, but at the end of the day, you have to realize that quality is far more important than quantity.”
Kohli captained RCB for eight seasons in the IPL although the franchise failed to win a single title in the league. Stressing that if he can’t be himself, he will change something, and citing that’s why his family and fans love him, Kohli detailed that quantity in work and quality in execution is the key.
“If you go for quantity in execution, then you’re going to get burnt out. If I can’t be myself in my everyday life and I can’t be myself on the field, I will change something. Because that is who I am. That is the reason I am where I am.”