"I think he's done a smart decision of relinquishing captaincy" - Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli playing as a pure batter in IPL 2022

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri believes Virat Kohli made a smart decision at the end of IPL 2021 to step down as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain. The 33-year-old stepped down from all forms of captaincy across the franchise and international cricket in the span of a few months.

For the first time in over eight years, Kohli will feature as a pure batter for RCB in the IPL. The ace player was retained by the franchise as their first-pick player ahead of the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction. He is currently undergoing a three-day quarantine in Mumbai and will soon join the squad for practice.

Believing that stepping down as RCB captain is a blessing in disguise for Kohli, Shastri said on ESPN Cricinfo:

"I think (giving up captaincy) could be a blessing in disguise, to be honest. The pressures of captaincy off his shoulders, the expectations that come with being captain no longer there. He can go out, express himself, play freely, and I think he'll look to do just that."

Opining that Kohli should now focus on enjoying himself on the field, Shastri continued:

"I think the most important thing is not worry about his own performances, because he's done enough in world cricket for people to know where he stands. It's about him wanting to enjoy himself out there. I think that is the key. It's mind over matter; it's a case of telling yourself, 'I want to go there, express myself, and enjoy myself.''

Ravi Shasti has shared an impeccable coach-player bond with Virat Kohli over the years. The duo led India to new heights, especially in terms of overseas success in the longest format of the game.

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"I would have still preferred him to stay in red ball cricket" - Ravi Shastri

Virat Kohli unexpectedly stepped down as Team India's Test captain following their series defeat to South Africa in January. The 33-year-old carved a niche in red ball cricket by becoming India's most successful captain, but despite no pressure to his post, chose to step down.

Opining that Kohli could have remained India's Test captain, Shastri said:

"The expectations are huge, and especially as a captain when you've set standards like Virat Kohli has, then people expect you to win every game, and that's never good enough. Even with the greatest of teams, you're going to have an off-season, there's going to be a period where nothing fires. The pressure will build. So I think he's done a smart decision of relinquishing captaincy. I would have still preferred him to stay in red ball cricket, but that's his personal choice."

With no additional responsibilities on his shoulders, Kohli joined the RCB camp, where he could open with captain Faf du Plessis. Shastri feels if RCB have faith in their middle order, they could persist with Kohli at the top of the order. In this regard, Shastri said:

"That depends on the balance of the team. I wouldn't know what their middle order is, but just in case they've got a very strong middle order, then there's no harm in Virat opening."

Du Plessis walks into the playing XI in place of the departed Devdutt Padikkal. In terms of middle-order options, the franchise have Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell.