IPL 2021: ‘Could have done it after the tournament,’ says Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli quitting RCB captaincy – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has questioned Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as the captain after this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gambhir believes that the timing of the announcement can have an adverse impact on RCB’s performance in the high-stake tournament.

Kohli announced that he was stepping down from RCB’s captaincy on Sunday. The 32-year-old batsman said that he would continue to remain with the RCB until his final game in the IPL.

Virat Kohli to step down from RCB captaincy after #IPL2021

“This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me.”: Virat Kohli#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/QSIdCT8QQM

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 19, 2021

But according to Gambhir, the timing of his announcement could have a negative effect on the team’s performance.

Speaking to Star Sports at the conclusion of the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians match, the Delhi batsman said he was “surprised” by Kohli’s decision.

The 2011 World Cup winner added that Kohli could have made the announcement at the end of the tournament also. “If you want to do that, you probably do it after the tournament,” said Gambhir, adding that such announcements put extra pressure on the team potentially unsettling them. He added that the decision puts more pressure on the team to win the tournament for Kohli rather than the franchise.

He added that this extra pressure might not be good for RCB, considering their position in the points table. RCB are currently third in the IPL points table.

Gambhir added that it was a brave decision on Kohli’s part to step down as the captain, saying that it would be an emotional moment for everyone in the franchise.

Kohli has captained the RCB since 2011, with the team reaching the IPL final in 2016. However, the team has yet to win the tournament to date.

Kohli’s decision to step down as captain of the RCB comes just days after he announced that he was stepping down as the captain of India’s T20 team after the World Cup this year.