RCB should try and take the pressure off Virat Kohli: Brett Lee

It goes without saying that expectations are plenty from Virat Kohli irrespective of the side he is playing for. The focus is on him when he’s plying his trade for India and it isn’t any different when he plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Virat has been with the Challengers since 2008 after his impressive show in the U19 World Cup during that time.

About pressure and expectations, former Australian cricketer Brett Lee reckons that RCB should give their captain some breathing space. Though Virat has topped the run-charts for the Bangalore franchise quite a few years, his team is yet to get its hand on the coveted trophy.

Lee, who played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), was of the opinion that RCB should try and take the pressure off Kohli. Lee put forth his opinions on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

Virat Kohli tries to carry the players, says Lee

“I just want Kohli to go out there and enjoy his cricket, take all the pressure off himself as a captain and player. Because he is so good at that level, I think sometimes with all the pressure going around in the team, people are failing, he tries to get all the players on his back and tries to carry them. All the RCB squad should help out in taking all the pressure off Kohli,” Lee was quoted as saying.

Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in the IPL, having churned out 5,412 runs from 177 matches at an average of 37.84. In 2016, he nearly scored 1,000 runs in a single season where he scored four centuries. He is also captaining the team after being appointed for the role back in 2013.

During the same interview, Lee also talked about Anil Kumble’s inclusion in the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) setup. Last year, Kumble was appointed as their head coach and Lee believes that the veteran’s knowledge and experience can do wonders to the Punjab team.

“The knowledge, the experiences, will definitely help. Kings XI need to win, they have got a great squad, they have got a wonderful team that can definitely get close and close but they have not got over the line yet, so, I’m actually waiting for that to happen. A great franchise to play for, I put up my hand-up and say that was a lot of fun to play for that franchise,” he added.