When Vijay Mallya heaped praise on Virat Kohli after he became full-time RCB captain ahead of IPL 2013

March 8, 2022

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is the only franchise among 10 teams this season to not have announced their leader ahead of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. With Virat Kohli stepping down as the captain following RCB’s playoffs finish in the 2021 edition, the Bangalore-based were in the auction to find a new captain and even though they have got a few options, they still haven’t zeroed in on anyone yet with IPL starting in less than 20 days.
Kohli led the side in 140 games across IPL and the now-defunct Champions League T20 in a period of 11 years, since 2011. However, he got the reigns only in 2013 when the ex-skipper Daniel Vettori moved to the coaching staff after his stint with the franchise as a player.
After a successful auction ahead of the 2013 edition, the then RCB owner, Vijay Mallya while announcing Kohli as the side’s new captain, praised his hunger to learn, lead and set an example. “We are delighted to announce Virat as our captain. His hunger to learn, lead, motivate and set an example is unquestionable,” Mallya had said.
After becoming the captain, Kohli thanked the management and the owners for showing their faith in him. “Glad to be appointed captain of RCB. I thank the owners for reposing their faith and I am looking forward to the challenge and the responsibility to carry the team to greater heights,” Kohli mentioned.

Under Kohli, RCB played some of the most unforgettable and iconic games of the season, which also includes the match against Pune Warriors where Chris Gayle smashed an unbeaten 175* off 66 balls, however, they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
While Gayle top-scored with 708 runs in 16 games, Kohli wasn’t far behind with 634 runs to his name at an average of 45. Gayle-Kohli became one of the most fearsome partnerships in the competition, however, it couldn’t take them to the next stage in the 9-team tournament. In 16 games, Kohli-led side won 9 and finished at 5th place just behind Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who both had 10 wins in the bag and qualified at No. 3 and No. 4 spots respectively.