'He will see himself as a failure' - Michael Vaughan opines on Virat Kohli's tenure as RCB captain
Story highlights
As RCB bowed out of IPL 2021, Michael Vaughan opined on Virat Kohli's captaincy tenure. For the unversed, Kohli's captaincy tenure at the franchise has also come to an end.
Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) IPL 2021 campaign came to an end with the three-time runners-up losing to the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator on Monday (October 11), at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.
Opting to bat first, Kohli & Co. were off to a decent start as the openers put on a 49-run stand. However, Sunil Narine's 4 for 21 restricted RCB to 138-7. In reply, KKR chased down the total with four wickets and two balls to spare. As RCB bowed out of the mega event in the UAE, Kohli's captaincy tenure also came to an end as the 32-year-old had already announced that the ongoing season will be his last as the captain of his franchise.
Following RCB's missed opportunities in IPL 14, former England captain Michael Vaughan opined on Kohli's tenure as RCB captain.
Vaughan said while speaking to Cricbuzz, "His legacy as captain in IPL cricket would be one that didn’t win. That’s what it’s about – high-level sport is about getting over the line, winning trophies, particularly when you’re at the standard of what Virat Kohli is at. I’m certainly not saying that he is, but he will see himself as a failure in IPL captaincy – because he is such a driven player and person – since he’s not got that trophy in his hands."
“In terms of what Virat is doing with the Test team and Test match cricket, developing the Indian team, he is terrific. You’d have to say and be honest, that in one-day cricket and T20 for the national side and the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he has fallen a long way short. The talent and the squad that he has to work with is right up there with the best. The RCB team over the years is very top heavy with the batting. This year, with the quality of Maxwell and Harshal Patel and Chahal, they had the bowling to match the batting, and yet they have fallen short,” he further added.
ALSO READ | I have given my 120% to RCB, will continue doing so as a player: Virat Kohli after final game as captain
After RCB's loss, Kohli made it clear that his loyalty will always remain with the RCB franchise and he cannot see himself representing any other franchise in the IPL. He told the broadcasters, "It is a great time to regroup and restructure for the next three years with people who will take this ahead. [On him staying with RCB] Yes definitely, I don't see myself playing anywhere else. Loyalty matters more to me than worldly pleasures. I would be in the RCB till the last day I play in the IPL."