Win Projections to be updated soon
Virat Kohli is likely to return as Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s (RCB) captain for IPL 2025, hinted AB de Villiers. With no official announcement yet, Kohli remains a strong contender due to his leadership experience. Other options include Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya, but neither has substantial IPL captaincy experience.
Virat Kohli’s Potential Comeback as RCB Captain
Former RCB legend AB de Villiers suggested that Virat Kohli might lead the team again.
Kohli had previously captained RCB until 2021, with his most notable achievement being leading the side to the IPL final in 2016.
“I don’t think it has been confirmed yet, but he will be the captain, I think, looking at the squad” de Villiers said on his official YouTube channel.
His return as captain is highly anticipated by fans and experts alike.
RCB’s auction picks include experienced players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya. However, Bhuvneshwar has only served as an interim IPL captain, while Krunal has domestic leadership experience but lacks exposure to leading an IPL franchise.
Kohli’s familiarity with the team, extensive captaincy experience, and deep connection with fans make him a logical choice. His leadership could bring stability to the squad and inspire confidence in the players as they aim for their maiden IPL title.
AB De Villiers Happy With The Squad
AB de Villiers praised RCB’s squad, especially their strong pace attack built during the auction.
“We got Bhuvneshwar Kumar, happy with Josh Hazlewood. We did miss out on a couple here and there. Rabada was close, but at least we got Lungi Ngidi. He’s got a wonderful slower ball, if he is in form and fit, he is a force to be reckoned with,” said the former Proteas captain.
“We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin. CSK got him, but very happy to see him in the yellow jersey again. But all in all, I’m fairly happy. It’s a well-balanced squad, we are missing a match-winning spinner but hopefully we are able to balance the squad in such a manner that we make Chinnaswamy a fortress. This squad should work at Chinnaswamy.”
Where The Royals Are Challenged?
De Villiers emphasized that RCB lacks a spinner capable of turning the ball both ways.
He insisted that the team might face challenges at home games without a versatile spinner.
To address this, he suggested picking a spinner from the unsold players’ list immediately.
If no such player is available, De Villiers proposed introducing a mid-season transfer window.
This idea, he added, could allow teams to strengthen their squads during crucial tournament phases.
“On the road, I feel we might miss out on someone who turns both ways. We need it, and I feel we are lacking it a little bit. It reminds me a touch about the transfer window sometime in the future. I wish the IPL and the BCCI will bring out a transfer window, where half-way through the tournament, we could make transfers. You can possibly get an extra spinner into the squad, a wrist spinner, perhaps, or you could go back to the unsold list. It’s something to think about,” said the South African great.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, and Instagram
