Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket Mo Bobat has paid tribute to Virat Kohli, calling him an eternal icon and hero of the franchise after almost two decades of steadfast service in the Indian Premier League.
Representing RCB for 18 consecutive seasons, Kohli has become synonymous with the franchise. From the electrifying knocks at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to the sea of red that rises in unison every time he goes to bat, his journey mirrors that of the team itself.
“Virat Kohli, of course I think he will forever be an icon and a hero of this team. I don’t think that will go away and he deserves it. His record is unbelievable,” Bobat said on the RCB Podcast.
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What has really changed in RCB? Culture, captaincy, coaching, the mindset of champions and our development #PlayBold philosophy.
From bringing Mo and Andy on board to making Rajat our captain From Virat’s loyalty pic.twitter.com/WxFgSVJmSh
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 2, 2026
Bobat highlighted Kohli’s stunning consistency as one of the defining pillars of his legacy. When the run machine closed in on 9,000 IPL runs last season, all in RCB colours, the numbers painted a picture of sustained excellence rarely seen in franchise cricket.
“I remember seeing his stats at one point last season when he got to any number of runs – almost 9,000 runs – for 18 years wearing just one jersey. That’s 500 runs a season. It’s actually ridiculous. Seven years or something some players would be happy with a 500 run season. He’s actually averaging 500 runs a season. ignore it.” said Bobat.
RCB finally ended their long wait for an IPL title last year they secured their maiden crown under Rajat Patidar. The triumph marked a historic moment for a franchise that had previously fallen behind despite boasting a star-studded lineup.
Bobat revealed that the decision to switch captaincy from Faf du Plessis to Patidar was one of the most carefully considered assignments of his career.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about that captaincy decision. I don’t mind saying that there aren’t many decisions in my career that I thought about as long and as deeply as this one. And the thinking started the season before.”
“We were very blessed to have someone like Faf as captain. Everyone knows what a champion Faf is. He was still a business player at that stage. We could have easily rolled over him and continued with Faf.”
“But the sport is pretty ruthless. You have to look at the reality of his age and stage. The big auction gave us a chance to do a bit of a reset. We felt it was really important to have an Indian captain. It’s an Indian competition so I think having an Indian captain is really important.”
Bobat also revealed that he and head coach Andy Flower had detailed discussions with Kohli in London after the 2024 season about a change in management.
“Andy and I met him in London shortly after the 2024 season and we talked about it. He’s always ready to step up and lead. He doesn’t need a second invitation.”
“But we talked about how this decision isn’t just about the three of us as people. It’s about RCB more broadly as a franchise. Her leadership may even go beyond us. It would be easy to say, ‘Virat, do you mind filling in and being the captain?’ But then you only kick the decision. At some point, we cannot depend on Virat all the time.
“Virat’s a bright guy. He got it really quickly. He said, ‘Let’s think about some of these other individuals. But if you need somebody, then of course I can do it’.”
As RCB prepare for the upcoming season as the reigning champions, Bobat made it clear that the mindset in the camp is not about defending the title but setting new standards.
“We’re not defending champions. We’re not defending anything. We may be the reigning champions, but I don’t want us to have the mindset that we’re defending something. We’re attacking. We’re going for something else. We’re going for back-to-back wins.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
March 3, 2026 08:54 IST
