RCB News: Ravi Shastri expects Virat Kohli to play with greater sense of freedom in upcoming season 

Former RCB captain Virat Kohli let go of his captaincy role ahead of the season citing workload management as one of the important seasons. His stint as RCB captain saw him lead the side in 140 matches from 2011 to 2021, recording a 48.16 percent win record, without an IPL title. 

However, IPL 2022, can be the beginning of a new draw for the record-setting Indian batter as he will be without the burden of captaincy. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that the decision to quit captaincy was actually a blessing in disguise for Kohli as he can play with more freedom and express himself better. 

“I think [giving up captaincy] could be a blessing in disguise, to be honest,” Shastri said. “The pressures of captaincy off his shoulders, the expectations that come with being captain no longer there. He can go out, express himself, play freely, and I think he’ll look to do just that,” Shastri told espncricinfo. 

“I think the most important thing is not worry about his own performances, because he’s done enough in world cricket for people to know where he stands. It’s about him wanting to enjoy himself out there. I think that is the key. It’s mind over matter, it’s a case of telling yourself, ‘I want to go there, express myself, and enjoy myself.'”

READ MORE: Faf du Plessis ‘tactically astute’ captain, says RCB new recruit Dinesh Karthik 

Virat Kohli has set his standards as captain: Ravi Shastri 

The burden on Kohli was even more because he was leading Team India across all the formats simultaneously from 2013 to 2021. He captained India in 95 matches across formats — the fourth highest by an Indian captain — and registered some crucial wins in overseas conditions. 

Shastri, who worked closely with Kohli during his tenure, said that captaincy is never an easy task but the former India captain has set high standards through his achievements. 

“It’s not easy to be captain of a team in all three formats of the game, more so India, because it’s the most demanding job in the world,” Shastri said. “No other team captain faces the kind of pressure an Indian team captain faces, and that’s simply because of the expectations of the billion people that we have – 1.4 billion.

“The expectations are huge, and especially as a captain when you’ve set standards like Virat Kohli has, then people expect you to win every game, and that’s never good enough. Even with the greatest of teams you’re going to have an off-season, there’s going to be a period where nothing fires. The pressure will build. So I think he’s done a smart decision of relinquishing captaincy. I would have still preferred him to stay in red-ball cricket, but that’s his personal choice.”

RCB will begin their IPL 2022 campaign against PBKS at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Sunday.