A few weeks ago, Virat appeared on RCB’s official Instagram handle to inform the fans that this season would be his last as RCB’s skipper. And with KKR edging out Kohli’s men in a nail-biting eliminator, Kohli’s stint as an IPL captain is all but over. RCB now needs a new captain and Virat’s decision has left a big hole in their armor.
Virat’s partner in crime, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers struggled with his form in the 2nd leg of IPL 2021. AB de Villiers is already 37, and with age not on his side, he isn’t an ideal captain for the men in red-and-black. Neither is Glenn Maxwell. Although he crossed 500 runs this season and was the biggest reason RCB qualified for the playoffs, captaincy is a different ball game altogether. The fact that he averaged only 18.90 in the 6 seasons prior to this one also goes against him.
Michael Vaughan suggests a potential candidate for RCB’s captaincy
It will be a huge task to handle Virat’s over-the-top aggression and manage him well, while also earning the respect of other players. Not everyone’s cup of joe. Speaking about the same (to Cricbuzz), Vaughan says, “It’s just that who’s got the character and personality to go in there and captain Virat Kohli, and that’s got to be a skillful person, who knows himself, knows T20 cricket very cleverly, knows how to manage people and particular someone like Virat Kohli. Once you are the captain, now you are just in the ranks and be that senior player.”
MSD is planning to retire, Kane Williamson will probably be retained by SRH and the same is the case with Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians. Morgan isn’t getting any younger. PBKS management has denied the reports of Rahul wanting to leave the franchise. So who is it that in the eyes of Michael Vaughan has the credentials good enough to lead a volatile team like RCB?
“I will throw you a name. This name is out-of-the-box. He’s from another franchise and they may retain him, but I would choose Jos Buttler to go out there and be RCB’s captain. He’s got it in him to be like MS Dhoni. I have no doubt about him,” says Vaughan, naming Jos Buttler as his pick.
Buttler models himself after MS Dhoni and definitely has the pedigree to lead a side. After all, he’s England Cricket’s vice-captain and Eoin Morgan rates him highly as a leader. With 1968 runs under his belt and a stupendous strike of 150, Jos Buttler’s IPL performances are awe-worthy.
Vaughan also feels that Jos will have the added advantage of reading the game from behind the stumps and will be able to garner his fellowmen’s respect. Does the management at Royal Challenger’s Banglore think the same? Well, that’s a question you should ask Vaughan, not us. Time will tell how it pans out.
