'I Am Heartbroken': Twitterati Get Emotional as Virat Kohli's Captaincy Stint With RCB Ends

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, and England cricket team captain Joe Root have declared Virat Kohli the best batsman across formats. However, Kohli, the leader, has failed to replicate that success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he couldn't win the title for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

RCB skipper Virat Kohli's fans on Twitter are bidding farewell to him, hailing his immense contribution to the franchise's growth during the past decade.

The emotive response erupted as Virat Kohli's captaincy stint with the RCB ended in a four-wicket defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.

He has millions of fans on Twitter alone.

While some said they were "heartbroken" to see Kohli walk off without winning the prestigious tournament, they insisted that the 32-year-old is an "inspiration" for a whole generation of cricketers. Others insisted that it "certainly wasn't the end".

Meanwhile, former Indian women's cricketer Snehal Pradhan dubbed it the "end of an era", while retired Test batsman Subramaniam Badrinath talked about the legacy of Kohli's captaincy.

💬 💬 I've given my 120% to this franchise leading the team & will continue to do so as a player. 👏 👏@imVkohli reflects on his journey as @RCBTweets captain. #VIVOIPL | #Eliminator | #RCBvKKR pic.twitter.com/XkIXfYZMAj

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) October 11, 2021

A brand of cricket where youngsters could come and express themselves on a big stage that’s the legacy of @imVkohli as far as captaincy goes #viratkholi #RCBvsKKR

— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) October 11, 2021

I am heartbroken that @RCBTweets didn't win Today. @imVkohli you are an inspiration to a generation and will continue to inspire us. Rightly said, you gave your 120% and that's all that counts.
Congratulations @KKRiders #RCBvsKKR #viratkholi

— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima) October 11, 2021

Is this the last time we've seen Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same team?

Could be end of an era in so many ways for #RCB.

— Snehal Pradhan #MaskUp (@SnehalPradhan) October 11, 2021

Whether you love him or hate him, you cannot deny what he’s done for @RCBTweets & the @IPL
Watching @imVkohli walk away from what has become his last game as captain of #rcb is heartbreaking💔 he’s still one of Greats of the game. Go well, Virat. This is certainly not the end💪

— Bhavna Balakrishnan (@Bhavna__B) October 11, 2021

Virat Kohli led RCB for the final time today.

The end of an era ♥️#RCBvKKR | #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/Eo88SqLrF7

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 11, 2021

Like RCB supporters, Kohli himself appeared quite emotional during his post-match interview in which he said that he always gave the youngsters complete freedom to express themselves.

"I've tried my best to create a culture here where youngsters could come in and play expressive cricket, play with belief. It's something I've tried to do at the Indian team level as well", Kohli said in a conversation with the competition's official broadcaster Star Sports.

The star batsman also emphasised that he gave his best for the side as skipper and enjoyed every part of his captaincy with them.

"All I can say is that I've given my best. I don't know how the response has been to that, but I can vouch for the fact that I've given my 120% to this franchise every year, leading the team", he said.

Stating that he would continue to give that effort on the field as a player from now on, he added: "It's a great time to regroup, restructure the franchise for the next three years, and bring in people who can take this culture and this franchise to the next level, moving forward".

Kohli was named RCB's full-time captain in 2013 and his best result for the IPL side came in 2016, when they made it to the final but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

RCB ended their 2015 campaign in the cash-rich league in the third place. Just like last year, Kohli's team made it to the playoffs in 2021.

RCB's lowest point in the IPL, though, came in 2012-2014 and 2017-2019, when they failed to progress to the playoffs and finished at the bottom of the charts in two seasons in 2017 and 2019.