During a recent interview with SportsTak, former England and RCB all-rounder Moeen Ali shared an interesting revelation about Royal Challengers Bengaluru's leadership plans back in 2019. Moeen mentioned that under the head coach, Gary Kirsten, the team had strongly considered appointing Parthiv Patel as captain. According to him, the decision came very close to being finalised, which would have marked a significant change in direction for the franchise. This insight has sparked renewed discussion about the leadership dynamics within RCB during that particular phase of their journey.

Moeen was with the Bengaluru-based team from 2019 to 2020, before he moved to Chennai Super Kings, where he found greater success. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, served as RCB’s full-time captain from 2013 after succeeding Daniel Vettori, though he had led in a few matches earlier. He remained in charge until 2021, stepping down due to workload concerns. Despite never winning the title, Kohli is still remembered as one of RCB's most influential and longest-serving leaders.

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"Yes, I think he was. I'm quite sure he was. In the final year, when Gary Kirsten was there-after the first year, I believe-Parthiv was in line to become captain. He had a brilliant cricketing brain. That was the talk at the time. I don't know what happened or why it didn't materialise, but I'm sure he was seriously considered for the role," Moeen said when asked whether Parthiv Patel had been considered for the RCB captaincy.

Virat Kohli had an underpar 2017 season

After guiding RCB to the final in 2016, Virat Kohli found it difficult to recreate that level of success in the following seasons. The team missed out on the playoffs for three straight years, finishing at the bottom of the table in both 2017 and 2019, and placing sixth in 2018. Despite Kohli's consistency with the bat, his captaincy drew criticism due to repeated poor finishes. However, a turnaround came in 2020 as RCB reached the playoffs, with Kohli's partnership with head coach Simon Katich showing signs of progress and stability.

Following Kohli's decision to step down as captain after the 2021 season, Faf du Plessis took over leadership duties, bringing greater consistency to the side. In 2025, RCB’s long-awaited IPL title finally came under Rajat Patidar’s captaincy. Kohli remained a key figure, scoring 657 runs in 15 matches and mentoring Rajat throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel, who last played in 2019, transitioned into a mentorship role with Gujarat Titans, where he made an immediate impact.