Virat Kohli

Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL

Although Virat Kohli had already announced that he would be stepping down as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of this season, there was still a glimmer of hope among the Bangalore fans that King Kohli would end his stint with a title. However, that was not to be as Bangalore's campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 ended with a four-wicket defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator on Monday.

This implied that the match turned out to be Kohli's last game as the leader of the Bangalore squad. While he will continue to be a part of the team as a player, however he will not be showing up for the toss. Kohli's nine-year-long stint as the Bangalore skipper also ended without a single IPL trophy and with him deciding to step down, it seems certain that he would not be able to lift an IPL title as a captain.

After the result, Kohli has penned a heartfelt post on social media. He said that although it wasn't the result they were looking for, he was proud of the character shown by the boys throughout the competition. He added that the team can continue to hold their heads high because of the effort they have put in. He also thanked the fans and the support staff for their role in what was a good season for Bangalore until this defeat.

"Not the result we wanted but I am so proud of the character shown by the boys throughout the tournament. A disappointing end but we can hold our heads high. Thank you to all the fans, management & the support staff for your constant support. Folded hands @RCBTweets," Kohli wrote.

Check out his tweet here:

After the match though, Kohli also clarified that he would continue to play for Bangalore until and unless he retires from the tournament. He stated that loyalty matters to him more than anything else. The right-handed batter has only played for Bangalore throughout the 14 seasons and wants to retire from the same team.

"To me, loyalty matters more than other things, which from the worldly point of view seem more important," Virat said after the game.