World Cup 2019: Will RCB's poor performance affect Kohli's captaincy?

After the sixth consecutive defeat for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2019 Indian Premier league, their chances of qualifying into the playoffs look slim. The below-par performances of the team have surely affected the players' morale and it will be interesting to see how they motivate themselves to finish the season in a respectable position, even if not being able to be make the top four. However, the biggest matter of concern is the impact these losses may have on Virat Kohli's captaincy in the 2019 World Cup.

There is no doubt how good a batsman Virat Kohli is. At present, he ranks number one in ODIs and Tests. Since Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down from captaincy in 2017, Kohli has led India to many memorable victories. He became the first Indian captain to win a test series in Australia and an ODI series in South Africa. These triumphs prove how effective and successful his reign as Indian captain has been.

Kohli is the first Indian captain to win a test series in Australia

However, 2019 has not been a great year for Kohli as a captain, despite his domination with the bat continuing. India lost the T20I and ODI series against Australia at home under his captaincy which were the team's last international assignment before the World Cup. He would have expected to boost his spirit by leading RCB to lift the IPL trophy for the first time but the fortune of Kohli as captain has continued to walk on the same path of defeat,

Without a doubt, Kohli has made some mistakes this IPL season like not having a proper plan against Andre Russell or not going with more spinners against CSK in the season opener. However, what can a captain do if his players perform below par and are no able to hold their nerves in crucial moments? Cricket is a team game and all the players are responsible for the outcome of the match. Kohli had some decent outings with the bat, but not being able to win matches definitely has haunted his confidence as captain.

Kohli started his career by leading India to victory in U-19 World Cup in 2008. With so many years in international cricket, he has mastered his game and has brought maturity to his captaincy. It is disheartening for all cricket fans to see Kohli losing so many games in a row, but they will know it is a part of the game. The 30-year has proven his worth both as a player and captain at the international level and there is no reason to believe he is not good enough for the job. All he needs to do now is to keep faith in his skills and motivate his players to make a comeback to win the remaining matches. He should lead India with the same belief in the World Cup that have won him so many matches earlier and try to lift the coveted trophy for the country.