Was Virat Kohli's RCB captaincy was under threat in 2019?
What's the story
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has revealed that Virat Kohli's position as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain was under threat in 2019. In an interview with SportsTak, he said that Parthiv Patel was nearly appointed as the new skipper during Gary Kirsten's tenure as head coach. Moeen played for RCB from 2019 to 2020 in the Indian Premier League before moving to Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Leadership timeline
Kohli led RCB from 2011 until 2021
Kohli has been one of RCB's longest-serving captains. He started leading the team in 2011 but officially took over as a full-time captain from Daniel Vettori in 2013. He continued to lead until 2021, when he stepped down citing workload management. Under his leadership, RCB reached the IPL final once in 2016 but failed to win the title.
Captaincy considerations
Patel was being considered for the captaincy, reveals Moeen
Moeen confirmed that Patel was being considered for the RCB captaincy. "In the final year when Gary Kirsten was there-after the first year, I believe-Parthiv was in line to become captain," he said. He praised Patel's cricketing intelligence and said, "That was the talk at the time. I don't know what happened or why it didn't materialize, but I'm sure he was seriously considered for the role."
Performance ups and downs
Kohli struggled to lead RCB back to victories
After leading RCB to the finals in 2016, Kohli couldn't repeat that success in the following years. The team finished last in both 2017 and 2019, while managing only a sixth-place finish in 2018. However, RCB made a comeback in 2020 with Kohli's partnership with coach Simon Katich starting to yield results as they reached the playoffs.
Leadership transition
Faf du Plessis succeeded Kohli as captain
After Kohli stepped down as captain in 2021, RCB appointed Faf du Plessis as the new skipper. The team maintained consistency in the following seasons and finally clinched their maiden IPL title earlier this year under Rajat Patidar's leadership. Kohli played a crucial role in the 2025 title-winning campaign, scoring 657 runs in 15 matches while mentoring Patidar on-field.