Another IPL season but same old story for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) who got knocked out of the ongoing season of the glitzy league after suffering a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday (May 21).
Despite Kohli's record-seventh century and a dominating 198-run target, RCB lost the match as Shubman Gill came between Faf Du Plessis' brigade and playoff berth. Gill's towering ton dampened Kohli's century and snatched the game away from RCB to help GT end the league game in style and garner 20 points. RCB's defeat also meant Mumbai Indians got a ticket to playoffs besides Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and GT.
Kohli cracked back-to-back centuries, amassed 639 runs, clobbered six fifties and did everything in his capacity to fire RCB into playoffs but all of his efforts went in vain.
Meanwhile, England's batting legend Kevin Pietersen has urged Kohli to change his IPL franchise and switch to Delhi Capitals after RCB's another failure. Pietersen feels that Kohli Kohli should play for a Delhi-based franchise as it is former India skipper's birthplace.
"Time for VIRAT to make the move to the capital city…! #IPL," Pietersen tweeted.
However, Pietersen's suggestions didn't go down well with Kohli's fans who were seen bashing the former England skipper.
“Don’t think he will move out of RCB but if that happens, then Virat might want to be in CSK to continue his IPL journey under his forever Captain Dhoni,” replied a fan on Pietersen's tweet.
Since IPL's inception in 2008, Kohli has been an integral part of RCB and holds the record of playing most matches for a single team having played more than 230 matches for the Bangalore-based franchise. The 34-year-old also the only batter in IPL history to amass 7000 runs.
Time and again Kohli has said that he will only play for RCB till the time he is playing IPL. "It has been such an amazing journey. It is always going to be our dream, winning the IPL together. There is no scenario where I could think of leaving the team ever. You can feel emotional about the season not going well but till the time I am playing IPL, I am never leaving this team. The fans, their loyalty has been amazing," Kohli had said.
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