IPL 2021 | Proud of Virat Kohli’s decision to quit RCB captaincy at peak of his career, asserts Brian Lara

09/20/2021

Brian Lara has stated that he is proud of Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as RCB captain after the completion of the IPL 2021 in UAE. Earlier on Thursday, Kohli announced his decision to make way for a new captain in the T20Is for India after the T20 World Cup which begins on October 19.

Virat Kohli on Sunday announced that he will step down as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain after the IPL 2021. In a video on the official Twitter handle of RCB, Kohli stated that he will continue to be part of the RCB team as a player and he can never imagine playing for some other franchise in the IPL. Kohli announced his decision ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday, September 20.

Kohli took over the RCB captaincy from Daniel Vettori in 2013 but the team's wait for the coveted trophy continues. RCB qualified for the play-offs stage during the 2020 season in UAE but were eliminated comfortably by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). With five wins in seven matches, RCB are well on course to another play-offs berth. Meanwhile, Brian Lara reckoned that he is proud of Virat Kohli for the decision he has taken at the peak time of his career. He further stated that Kohli wants to understand his workload and contribute his best towards his team.

"Proud of someone who is at the height of his career and makes a decision such as this," Lara added.

"I mean, it’s pretty straightforward. He has said it as clear as possible. He wants to understand his workload and keep committing to the responsibility he has. Very well put together (his statement)," Brian Lara told Star Sports.

Earlier, when Kohli decided to step down as India’s T20I skipper after the T20 World Cup in UAE, Lara stated that he was shocked to hear the news. Lara had batted for Kohli as he went on to state that the Indian skipper has done a tremendous job as India’s T20I captain in the past. Speaking on his announcement on Sunday night, Lara further added that Kohli is making himself comfortable to focus on the longer formats of the game.

"I totally understand. It’s 3 formats of the game. When you go back, it was just Test cricket and the 50-over format. Now he is playing every format of the time.

"There has come a time when he feels ‘listen, I need to take a step back and maybe the focus on Test cricket and 50-overs format of the game and allow somebody else to take the responsibility (in T20s)’. To me, it’s pretty clear.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will start their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday, September 20.