Virat Kohli revealed he stepped down as captain because the constant pressure and scrutiny made it hard for him to stay happy.
Virat Kohli has revealed that constant pressure and round-the-clock scrutiny led him to step down from captaincy roles in 2021. The former India skipper handled leadership duties in all formats for nearly eight years and captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru for nine seasons. Kohli said the burden of expectations, both as a leader and batter, became overwhelming.
Even after giving up captaincy, he remained under focus for his batting, which added to the mental strain. The 36-year-old admitted the non-stop attention affected his happiness and clarity. After quitting T20I and RCB captaincy in 2021, Kohli also stepped down as India’s Test captain a few months later.
“At one point, it did become tough for me because there was just too much happening in my career. I was captaining India for a period of 7-8 years. I captained RCB for nine years. There were expectations on me from a batting perspective every game that I played,” said Kohli in an RCB Bold Diaries podcast.
“I didn’t have this sense that the attention was off me. If it wasn’t captaincy, it would be batting. I was exposed to it 24×7. It did get very tough on me, and it did get too much in the end. That’s why I stepped down because I felt like if I’ve decided I want to be in this place, I need to be happy,” he added.
‘This is My Home’: Virat Kohli on Why He Stuck with RCB
Virat Kohli faced a tough phase in late 2021 and early 2022, starting with his removal as ODI captain after stepping down from T20I leadership. With BCCI opting for a single white-ball captain, the decision led to public tension between Kohli and then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
He later took a month-long break from cricket, during which he avoided touching a bat. That pause helped him reconnect with the game. Kohli also admitted he briefly considered leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru during that difficult period. However, he ultimately chose to stay loyal, valuing his long-standing bond and mutual respect with the franchise.
“I wouldn’t say I was tempted, but I did think about it. I also asked myself the question ‘what is more valuable to me’. ‘I won a lot of things in my career for India. I have won a lot of accolades as well’,” Kohli said.
“So I had to take a call. ‘Do I want to go into a new setup and figure out life again’. So that is when I realised that the relationship is more valuable to me, and also the mutual respect that has been created over the so many years. And now I’m just gonna see it through. Whether we win or don’t win, it’s fine. This is my home,” he concluded.
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Last Updated on May 6, 2025
