IPL: 3 reasons why RCB can't remove Virat Kohli as their skipper

Another season of IPL and the wait for RCB’s first title continues. RCB is one of the only three teams that have played the league for 13 seasons but have failed to win a single title. However, this season was extremely promising for them as their bowling unit looked dynamic and balanced but the result remained the same. RCB even qualified for the playoffs after 4 years but the title is still away from them.

The other two teams who have failed to win a title are Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab but what separates RCB from these two is the Bangalore franchise’s confidence in Virat Kohli. The star batsman took over the captaincy from Daniel Vettori in 2013 and he has failed to clinch a title for them till now. Though RCB’s loss has been due to several reasons, as a captain, Virat’s tactics have seen major backlash from the cricket fraternity.

Gautam Gambhir also joined in criticizing Virat and said that if someone else would have been in his position, he would have been removed. RCB changes their coaching staff every season or two but they haven’t given up on their skipper yet. However, despite another failure RCB still might continue with Kohli only and they have logical reasons for that. Franchise considers IPL as a business and it is much more than winning the trophy from them.

Here are the three reasons why RCB can’t remove Virat Kohli as a captain:

1. Virat Kohli’s brand value

Virat Kohli is the biggest name in cricket at the moment. His performance has been consistent for several years and he is the skipper of the national team as well. With his extreme fitness regime, Kohli has set a benchmark for several cricketers and that has made him a style icon of the country as well.

As per a Celebrity Brand valuation study by Duff & Phelps, the Delhi lad has been named the biggest celebrity brand for the last three years. His brand value was estimated to be USD 237.5 Million for 2019 and that is double than of the second-ranked Akshay Kumar. He endorses as many as 20 brands and it all adds up to his brand value.

Considering this, RCB would not want their sponsors to go somewhere else, and having Kohli as the face of their team earns them major revenue. Also, their biggest sponsor, Wrogn is partially owned by Kohli himself. Removing Kohli would mean RCB’s money-making will take a big blow and as profit-making is the prime goal of any franchise, they would not take such a risk.