'If Virat is unhappy, that needs to be communicated directly to the captain.'
Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a six wicket defeat at home against Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2025 clash on Thursday, but what made news beyond the result was Virat Kohli's visible frustration -- directed squarely at RCB Skipper Rajat Patidar.
Defending a modest 163, RCB made a brilliant start, reducing DC to 30/3. But a critical turning point came in the fourth over -- one which clearly left Kohli fuming.
K L Rahul, batting on seven, miscued the inside out lofted shot off pacer Yash Dayal.
Patidar, stationed at mid-off, rushed to his left, got under the ball, before he dived and got both hands to it. Inexplicably, he ended up dropping it -- not once, but twice.
Kohli, stationed nearby, couldn't hide his anger. He let out a furious scream, visibly seething at Patidar's costly error. His animated reaction underlined the intensity of the moment -- and his disappointment in the current RCB captain.
That drop proved decisive. Rahul went on to anchor the chase with a magnificent unbeaten 93, guiding DC to a comfortable win on a ground he knows all too well.
But Kohli's frustrations didn't end there. In the latter stages of the match, cameras caught him in a heated discussion with mentor Dinesh Karthik during a strategic timeout.
His animated gestures suggested disagreement with certain on-field decisions. He later spoke with veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar but notably stayed away from the team huddle during the final timeout -- fueling further speculation about a rift in the leadership group.
Commentators Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag noted the significance of the moment on air.
'If Virat is unhappy, that needs to be communicated directly to the captain,' Chopra remarked on JioHotstar.
Fans on social media echoed similar sentiments. One user wrote, 'True. He had a long discussion with DK... then he spoke with Bhuvi... he didn't even join the group during the last time-out. He was clearly upset with something.'
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