Will Virat Kohli Captain RCB In IPL 2025? Here’s What COO Rajesh Menon Has To Say

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rajesh Menon, remained tight-lipped about the team’s captaincy decision for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 amid the growing speculation that Virat Kohli may reclaim the captaincy role.

He hinted that the team has several experienced players who could potentially lead the side, leaving the captaincy choice open.

Notably, RCB had chosen not to retain their previous captain, Faf du Plessis, and did not pursue a clear captaincy option during the recent mega auction, adding to the speculation surrounding the team’s leadership.

RCB was a slow starter on Day 1 of the mega auction, seeing big stars like Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul sold to other teams. On the second day, however, RCB made a remarkable return, making several good choices to build a balanced and composed team.

Kohli had stepped down from the RCB captaincy citing workload management after the 2021 season. However, after his recent retirement from T20 internationals, the chances of Kohli taking up the additional RCB captaincy responsibility have increased, with many hoping for a comeback.

“Too early (to talk about it). There are different experienced people in the mix. So, we need to evaluate and come to a conclusion. It won’t be long before we come to that conclusion,” Rajesh Menon told India Today’s sister channel Sports Today.

Earlier, South African cricket legend and former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter, AB de Villiers, has come out in support of Kohli taking up captaincy for RCB in IPL 2025. Kohli has led the team from 2013 to 2021 and has shown great leadership and talent to take the team forward, especially during the 2016 season when RCB made it to the final.

“Friends, I think Virat Kohli is the only option [for RCB’s captaincy choice). He is near the end of his career, more inspired than ever before. Till the time he gets the form, and score runs, we are used to watching him play match-winning innings. It’s like a swansong,” de Villiers said in January.