Virat Kohli To Captain RCB In IPL 2025? Franchise Official Provides Major Update

Will Virat Kohli captain the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team again? This question is on everyone’s minds and the RCB COO Rajesh Menon has put an end to all speculations.

After parting ways with Faf du Plessis, who led Royal Challengers Bengaluru through the past three Indian Premier League seasons, RCB will have a new captain in IPL 2025.

Virat Kohli poised to take up RCB captaincy

Many fans and pundits expect Virat Kohli, who stepped down as RCB captain in 2021, to lead the team again in 2025. The Bengaluru-based squad, which is still chasing its first IPL victory, has yet to make a formal announcement on the matter.

Virat Kohli captained RCB in 143 IPL matches from 2011 to 2023, winning 66 of them. RCB lost 70 games under his leadership, but he led the franchise to the IPL final in 2016, amassing 973 runs with the bat.

RCB's COO Rajesh Menon reveals plans about franchise captaincy

In a recent interview with Sports Tak, RCB COO Rajesh Menon was asked about Kohli's return as IPL captain in 2025. He stated that no choice has been taken yet because the team has multiple leaders. Menon noted that conversations are still ongoing and that a resolution will be reached in due course.

“Currently we have not decided anything. We have multiple leaders in the team. 4-5 leaders are there. We have not deliberated on what we need to do. We will deliberate, and we will come to a conclusion,” he said.

During the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB signed major players including Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, among others.

Following the IPL 2025 super auction, RCB's captaincy options are restricted. Kohli remains a strong contender, given his previous leadership and international experience.

Rajesh Menon speaks on RCB’s strategy in IPL 2025 auction

Rajesh Menon discussed the team's IPL 2025 strategy. He explained how the franchise meticulously identified gaps to fill and the Indian core required for the squad. Menon said that by the end of Day 2, both fans and analysts had welcomed RCB's additions.

“We were very clear in terms of what kind of gaps we have and what all we need to fulfill and what is the Indian core that we require to build, and if you want to play in M Chinnaswamy (Stadium), what kind of bowling attack we require. And that is what we did.

If you see Day 1, it was low-key for us. People thought we were not participating in the auction, but at the end of Day 2, everybody, right from fans to experts, felt saying what we have done is the best because we have covered all the gaps, and I think we have got one of the best teams,” Menon said.

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