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Parthiv Patel confirms he was about to replace Virat Kohli as RCB captain

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 2025 and 2026 IPL title wins marked the peak of Virat Kohli’s captaincy tenure with the franchise, but behind the scenes, the team nearly made a dramatic leadership change in 2019. According to former RCB and India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel, he was the frontrunner to replace Kohli as captain, backed by then-coaches Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten.

Patel revealed in a recent interview that the franchise had discussed the possibility of handing him the reins the following season, but the plan collapsed when Nehra and Kirsten were both removed from their roles. Kohli, who had led RCB from 2013 to 2021, ultimately retained the captaincy through 2019 and two additional seasons before stepping down in 2021, leaving Patel’s near-promotion as an unfulfilled chapter in the franchise’s history.

Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali later confirmed Patel’s candidacy, describing him as the top internal contender before the coaching overhaul derailed the process.

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