‘For me the game changed then’ – Virat Kohli names RCB’s turnaround moment in IPL

Virat Kohli‘s loyalty towards Royal Challengers Bangalore is no secret. He has always been the biggest part of the franchise and is the only player who has been a part of only one team in all 15 seasons (including the upcoming 2022 season). Kohli recently stated that the addition of AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle in the 2011 season changed the game for RCB.

Virat Kohli has become RCB’s and IPL’s most successful batter in terms of numbers. He is the highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history, with over 6000 runs under his belt. He was signed by the team in 2008 and has played all the seasons for them, while he was appointed as the captain in 2013.

AB de Villiers was bought in 2011 and Chris Gayle was recruited mid-way in the same season. The trio gave Bangalore some great and memorable wins and was the team’s face between 2011 and 2017. Chris Gayle was let go in the 2018 season and AB de Villiers announced his retirement from all forms of the game after the 2021 season.

In YouTube Show ‘RCB podcast’, Virat said, “For me, the game changed when AB was bought in 2011 and Chris was signed mid-season 2011. You know what the bowlers think when they are running into bowl, that these three guys if two bat together for a while, it’s trouble for us.”

The 33-year stepped down as the team’s captain after the 2021 season but was retained ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. He is among the three players retained. Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj are the other two players.

Bangalore will now have to look for a player to fill in the role of captaincy in the auction. The mega auction is scheduled on the 12th and the 13th of February in Bangalore.