The Virat Kohli speculation was addressed by Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket for RCB shortly after their IPL 2025 retention announcement.
Mo Bobat, Director of Cricket for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on Thursday addressed the growing rumour around Virat Kohli’s return to captaincy for the 2025 Indian Premier League, saying that the franchise is yet to decide despite releasing Faf du Plessis, who led the franchise in the last three seasons.
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis during their partnership for RCB in IPL 2024(AFP)
Earlier this week, a report in the Times of India indicated that Kohli is all set to return as the skipper of RCB for the first time since 2021, when he had relinquished the role after leading the franchise for nine seasons. He was, in fact, the third longest serving skipper in IPL history with 143 such appearances, after MS Dhoni (226) and Rohit Sharma (158).
The rumour peaked after RCB confirmed the departure of Faf on Thursday after revealing their retention list for the IPL 2025 season, with Kohli being re-signed for INR 21 crore.
However, Bobat kept the speculations alive as he remained tightlipped on the franchise’s captaincy call, and further revealed that like most other teams, they too would be actively looking for a leadership option at the mega auction next month, before making a final decision.
“I am sorry to disappoint everybody listening. We have not made any decision related to captaincy or on that (Kohli returning as skipper) as yet. We are open to options. The only obvious decision we made was not to retain Faf. He did a great job last year and the year before that. So from our perspective, we will keep a very open mind when we head to the auction,” he told JioCinema.
RCB retain just three players
Kohli was the costliest Indian retention, at INR 21 crore ahead of the auction. RCB retained just two other players, Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore) and Yash Dayal (INR 5 crore), leaving them with an auction purse of INR 83 crore.
speaking on the two retentions other than Kohli, Andy Flower, RCB head coach, said: “We are thrilled to retain Yash Dayal, an extraordinary talent whose career is on an upward trajectory. His unique ability as a left-arm bowler, capable of swinging the ball in both directions, adds a valuable dimension to our bowling attack – one that is increasingly rare in the auction landscape.”
“Rajat Patidar is a key member of our squad. His exceptional talent and resilience have already made a significant impact on our team, and he truly embodies the spirit of RCB. We are excited to see him continue to develop and shine in the upcoming season.”
