IPL 2023: Know your player! Virat Kohli at his flamboyant best

Virat Kohli (Pic Courtesy: AFP)

Ahead of the start of 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Virat Kohli had announced that edition would be his final season as captain of the RCB franchise. Kohli, who took over as RCB's full-time captain in 2013, led them in 140 matches, winning 66 and losing as many as 70.

Kohli has played 223 matches to date in his IPL career and has scored 6624 runs, with an average of 36.20. He has also slammed 5 centuries and 44 half-centuries, with his highest IPL score being 113 runs. In the IPL Auction 2023, the Bangalore franchise acquired the services of ViratKohli for Rs 15.00 Cr. His last appearance at the IPL was against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where he scored 7(8). With numerous awards and records to his name, combined with consistently great performances has put him in the league of one of the best batsmen especially in the T20 format.

RCB: A brief overview

The once Virat Kohli-led team possesses one of the most passionate fan bases in the league, and in 2023, with a largely settled team that fans loved seeing in 2022 after keeping their best players, they will maintain their pursuit of that elusive first title with a team adored by their loyalists. From the now-Indian coach Rahul Dravid in the first season of the Indian Premier League through players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have consistently fielded superstars. However, they have never really clicked as a team, and the title has eluded them.

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As Bangalore had a tremendous season in 2022 and made it to the elimination stage, the majority of its core will remain in place going into the auction. Prior to the 2022 season, RCB retained Mohammed Siraj ($7 crore), Maxwell ($12 crore), and Virat Kohli ($16 crore), while also investing in the services of Wanindu Hasaranga ($7 crore) and Harshal Patel ($7 crore) (Rs. 10.75 crore).

For Rs 7 crore, they acquired Faf Du Plessis, who later replaced Kohli as the skipper. The Rajasthan Royals, who finished as runners-up, defeated the Faf du Plessis-led team (RR). Glenn Maxwell has kept aside because he is injured.