Virat Kohli has opened up about one of the most mentally challenging phases of his career, revealing how the pressure of captaining both India and Royal Challengers Bangalore between 2016 and 2019 left him overwhelmed. Speaking on the RCB podcast, Kohli admitted that the expectations, non-stop attention, and leadership burden made him consider stepping away, not just from captaincy, but even from RCB. “I've said this before — I had the opportunity to explore and look elsewhere, especially during the peak years of my career. From 2016 to 2019, there were constant suggestions for me to switch. At one point, it became really tough because too much was happening. I was captaining India for 7-8 years and RCB for 9 years. There were expectations from me with the bat in every game I played.” That period coincided with some of Kohli’s best performances with the bat, but mentally, he was exhausted. The pressure was relentless, whether on the field or off it. “I never felt like the attention was off me. I was always in a space where I didn’t know what to do. I was exposed to it 24x7, and it got really tough. I decided that if I wanted to stay in this space, I needed to be happy. I wanted to be in a place where I could just play cricket without being judged.” “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘸! 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘏𝘖𝘔𝘌. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦… pic.twitter.com/n0DErxgonp — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 6, 2025 “I wouldn’t say I was tempted”: Kohli on staying with RCB Kohli stepped down as RCB captain after the 2021 season and eventually relinquished leadership in all formats for India. During the podcast, he admitted that he did think about leaving RCB altogether, but never felt the urge to go through with it. “I wouldn't say I was tempted, but I did think about it. I asked myself, 'What is more valuable to me?' I’ve won a lot of things for India, I’ve earned a lot of accolades.” He weighed his options, but the bond with RCB was something more than just professional. In the end, it was the sense of belonging that made the decision easy. “So I had to make a decision: do I want to go into a new setup and figure things out again? That’s when I realised that the relationship I’ve built here is more valuable — and so is the mutual respect that’s developed over so many years. Now, I’m just going to see it through. Whether we win or not, it’s fine. This is my home.” Also READ: "We want you to play that way": Kohli shares Dhoni's message during his India debut RCB picked up Kohli way back in 2008. Since then, he’s been the heartbeat of the team, taking them to three finals but never quite crossing the finish line. With the current squad starting to click, IPL 2025 might just be the year RCB and Kohli finally lift that elusive trophy.