Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) campaign at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 came to a screeching halt after Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated the Faf Du Plessis-led side in the Qualifier 2 on Friday.
Meanwhile, RCB's star player Virat Kohli took to social media and wrote a heartfelt note after his side's ouster. The 33-year-old was removed for just seven runs as his team were handed a seven-wicket defeat to RR. Kohli was dismissed after trying to play outside the off-stump to a delivery by Prasidh Krishna. Kohli was beaten by the bounce as he edged to give a simple catch to RR wicket-keeper Sanju Samson.
The former RCB skipper thanked the "12th Man Army" and the management for their continuous support throughout the season, and said that they "make cricket special".
"Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. The learning never stops. A big thanks to the management, support staff and all the people who are part of this amazing franchise. See you next season," Kohli captioned the post.
Amid his recent struggles, several former cricketers, including former India head coach Ravi Shastri, have said that Kohli should take a break from the sport.
It was the first time that Kohli scored three golden ducks in the same IPL season and with just two half centuries, he could manage to score just 341 runs in 16 encounters. Although his side were quite close to reaching the final, a lot of questions were raised on his form and impact on the side.
The opening batter scored only two half-centuries in the ongoing season and no hundred, his worst tally since 2012.
Kohli has been rested for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa.
The series will begin on June 9 and KL Rahul will lead the Men in Blue in the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma, who has also been rested after a poor outing during the ongoing IPL.
Both Kohli and Rohit are set to return to action during the one-off Test against England, which will be played between July 1-5 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
