“It is apparent that when you resign from a role, you want a break” – Mike Hesson on Virat Kohli not captaining RCB in IPL 2022 

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson recently revealed that the team management had a discussion with Virat Kohli before choosing Faf du Plessis as their new captain for this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL 2022).

Speaking at the RCB Unbox event on Saturday, Hesson pointed out that it was clear that Kohli wanted a break, which is why he stepped down as the skipper after the previous season of the cash-rich league. He added that the star batter wants to enjoy his game and help the side clinch their maiden championship title

Hesson said:

“Virat has given absolutely everything to this franchise as a captain. He has given his heart and soul. It is pretty apparent that when you resign from a role, you want a break. He wants to enjoy his time at RCB as a senior player and as a batsman and we are very respectful of that as well,”

“Just because the situation has changed within here doesn’t mean that the situation has changed in terms of him wanting to come and win games for RCB. We spoke to Virat about the leadership options and Faf was someone he was really excited about. I have also leaned on AB de Villiers for his thoughts as well,”

Speaking about Kohli’s prrolonged run drought, Hesson stressed how the right-hander has often managed to convert starts in recent times. He opined that the 33-year-old is just one knock away from returning to form.

Hesson added:

“Virat has set a standard that’s very hard to maintain. His ability to convert is second to none. So when he doesn’t convert for a period of time, we start to worry. So when he gets 1, he will get 3 or 4. The fact that he’s still rated in the top 5 Test players in the world suggests that he is still getting pretty good output in terms of his runs. He is still scoring hard runs, which can often be underestimated. The fact that he’s not going to captain RCB this year will allow him to play with a bit more freedom.”

The New Zealander suggested that Kohli is expected to play more freely in the upcoming 15th edition of IPL as he will no longer have the burden of captaincy on his shoulders.

“Dinesh Karthik has been a proven performer for a long period of time” – Mike Hesson

Hesson reckoned that senior player Dinesh Karthik’s immense experience will be beneficial for the RCB team. He noted that the seasoned campaigner has kept to mystery spinners on several occasions and could help the team’s bowlers and batters with his skills in picking those tricky deliveries.

He also disclosed that the veteran batter would fit in perfectly as a finisher. While Hesson underlined that Karthik is not a power-hitter, but has the ability to hit the ball in the right areas and accumulate runs quickly. He said:

“We look at Dinesh Karthik’s experience and the fact that he has been a proven performer for a very long period of time and is very well respected. He’s played a number of different roles in different franchises, which gives him the experience to share that with others,”

“He’s kept to mystery spinners during his time and which is a skill that he can pass on to not only our bowling group, but the batting group as well. But his experience, it’s been like the spine of any side. You need experience in key roles and being a keeper is one of those key roles and being a finisher too. He can be a finisher. He’s got what I call sneaky power. He’s not a Hardik Pandya-type finisher, but is able to access different areas.”

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Bangalore will take on Punjab Kings in their opening game of the season at the DY Patil Stadium. They are placed in Group B alongside Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The IPL 2022 schedule and the list of IPL teams is available here, click to view.