Former England captain Kevin Pietersen advised Virat Kohli to consider leaving Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after their defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Qualifiers. Kevin Pietersen highlighted that Virat Kohli would have to leave the Royal Challengers to get an IPL trophy in the future.
The Faf du Plessis-led team suffered a four-wicket defeat to Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, May 22. Bengaluru could not continue their winning momentum. RCB’s 17-year titleless streak continued and they were eliminated from the prestigious tournament.
Virat Kohli ended the season without a title despite leading RCB’s batting efforts and emerging as their leading run-scorer. He scored 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69. Kohli recorded five half-centuries and one century, his highest score being an unbeaten 113 runs.
Virat Kohli deserves a trophy – Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen drew parallels between Virat Kohli’s situation and that of football superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane. The former England batsman claimed that these football superstars were looking for better opportunities to succeed elsewhere.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the game’s greats in other sports have abandoned teams to go seek glory elsewhere. When he tried and tried as hard as he could, he won the Orange Cap once again And I have done so many things once again and the franchise fails again, I understand it because of the team’s brand and the commercial value he brings to the team… But Virat Kohli deserves a trophy. He deserves to play in a team that can help him. get that trophy,” Pietersen told Star Sports.
Virat Kohli needs to leave – Kevin Pietersen
The 43-year-old claimed that if Virat Kohli wants to part ways with RCB, Delhi could be his next destination. Pietersen suggested that Delhi could be an ideal choice for him as it is his hometown with family ties and a personal connection.
“In fact, I think it should be Delhi. Delhi is the place where Virat needs to go. Virat can go away and stay at home most of the time. I know he has a house in Delhi. He has a young family. He can’t of Delhi. Why can’t he come back? “Delhi is as desperate as Bengaluru,” Pietersen added.
“I think it’s time for Virat to think carefully. Beckham is gone, Ronaldo is gone, Messi is gone, Harry Kane just left Spurs and went to Bayern Munich,” he concluded.
The Bengaluru-based team has made the playoffs four times in the last five seasons of the Indian Premier League. The last time they reached the final match was in the 2016 season where they suffered a loss to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Virat Kohli scored a record 973 runs during the 2016 edition.
Virat Kohli has consistently expressed his desire to conclude his career with the Bengaluru-based franchise. Surprisingly, the 35-year-old batsman is the only player to have represented the same team in all 17 seasons of the IPL.
Also read: “Bengaluru Cant”. – Tushar Deshpande mocks RCB after IPL 2024 Qualifier loss; Delete later
