Virat Kohli is a leader, won’t stop being that just because he is not RCB’s captain: Harshal Patel

It would be nice to end the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) under Virat Kohli with the first Indian Premier League (IPL), but the franchise will celebrate his “huge” contribution anyway, fast bowler Harshal Patel said.

The 30-year-old Harshal, who broke equalled the record for most wickets taken in a single season of the IPL, thanked Kohli and the team management for the trust they have put in him this year.

Kohli played his last match as captain of RCB on Monday when they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in the 2021 IPL Eliminator.

“Everyone knows Virat and the kind of energy and passion he brings to the field. Everyone also knows that he backs bowlers, gives us space and allows us to execute our plans. So very thankful to him, I have learned a lot playing with him since I think 2012,” Harshal said.

Harshal was first bought by RCB in 2012 and had a two-year stint with Delhi Capitals before being traded back.

“There are captains and there are leaders and he is definitely a leader. Just because he isn’t tagged as the captain of the team doesn’t make him any less of a leader. I just want to thank him for his contributions towards this team and my growth and for all the times he supported me when I was down,” he said.

The defeat on Monday means that Kohli ends his nine-year stint as RCB captain without an IPL trophy. Harshal said that Kohli’s contributions have been “immense” even without a title and will be celebrated by the team.

“We are going to celebrate his contributions. It would have been nicer to celebrate that with a trophy but that was not meant to be. But his contributions have been immense and we are definitely going to celebrate that,” he said.