Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru and England captain Kevin Pietersen believes that club legend Virat Kohli should consider moving on from the franchise in order to increase his chances of winning the Indian Premier League. Pietersen's remarks were prompted by RCB's recent elimination from the IPL 2024 playoffs, following a 4-wicket loss to the Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad.
Despite Kohli's impressive performance as the highest run-scorer of the season, RCB, one of the three franchises yet to secure an IPL title since the league's inception, failed to advance further in the tournament. Pietersen's suggestion for Kohli to explore opportunities with other teams may provide him with a better opportunity to achieve success in the future.
The 35-year-old cricketer accumulated an impressive total of 741 runs from 15 matches, marking his second best performance in the IPL. This achievement comes second only to his record-breaking 973 runs in 2016. Despite his outstanding individual efforts, he was unable to lead RCB to the title.
Kohli's exceptional batting skills once again proved to be in vain, as RCB faced yet another season of disappointment due to the team's overall lack of success. This recurring pattern highlights the ongoing struggles faced by RCB, particularly in the areas of bowling and batting depth.
Pietersen believes it is imperative for Kohli to consider exploring other franchises starting next year.
"I have said it before and I will say it again -- the greats of the game in other sports, have left teams to go and seek glory somewhere else. When he has tried and tried so hard -- won the Orange Cap yet again and done so much yet again and the franchise fails again. I understand for the brand of the team and the commercial value he brings to the team... But Virat Kohli deserves a trophy. He deserves to play in a team that could help him to get that trophy," Pieterson said on Star Sports.
KP drew parallels with football legends such as David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi, all of whom departed from their childhood clubs in pursuit of success elsewhere.
"I think it's about time Virat thought long and hard. Beckham left, Ronaldo left, Messi left, Harry Kane just left Spurs and went to Bayern Munich," he further added.
Pietersen actually recommended that Kohli consider transferring to the Delhi Capitals, as they both originate from the same city.
"I actually 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 home in Delhi. He has a young family. He can spend more time there. He is a Delhi boy. Why can't he go back? Delhi are as desperate as Bengaluru," he said.
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