Virat Kohli to relinquish Royal Challengers Bangalore captaincy

Days after confirming he will step away as leader of the India T20 team, Kohli has confirmed his decision to dilute his responsibility at the franchise after this season's IPL

Virat Kohli will step away as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore as he continues to prioritise managing the demanding cricketing calendar.

The 32-year-old has already revealed his decision to stand down as India T20 skipper following the upcoming World Cup.

And that will not be the only position of authority Kohli has decided to relinquish. He has led RCB since 2013 but will give up the role at the end of the ongoing 2021 season.

"It is something that was on my mind for a while, as I recently announced stepping down from T20 captaincy to manage my workload, which has been immense over the last few years," he said.

"I want to be able to continue to be committed to the responsibilities that I am fulfilling, and I felt I needed the space to refresh, to regroup and be absolutely clear in how I want to move forward."

During Kohli's eight seasons at the helm, RCB have only once reached the IPL final, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016.

Ahead of resuming their campaign against Kolkaka Knight Riders, RCB sit third in the table and are a strong contender for the 2021 title.

Kohli will continue to represent RCB as well as India across all three international formats, remaining as Test and ODI skipper, but has opted to cut down on his responsibilities.

In January, he became a father for the first time after wife Anushka gave birth to daughter Vamika.

The decision comes amid an increasing number of cricketers taking breaks from the sport due to mental health concerns, with England's Ben Stokes currently on an indefinite hiatus from the sport.

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