Ab de Villiers dropped a major hint of RCB’s new captain for the 2025 season as the captain Faf du Plessis released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.

Meanwhile, the franchise did not buy Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul or Shreyas Iyer in the auction which has created questions on the leadership role.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be one team to have a new captain in the 2025 season after the side decided not to retain du Plessis or use the RTM option when he was bought by Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore in the auction.

On this occasion Ab de Villiers confirms Virat Kohli will lead the franchise in the new season. If the news is confirmed, Kohli will be returning as captain after three years which will be a big feast for fans.

Back in 2013-2021, the 36 year old captained the franchise and also three matches in 2023 when Faf du Plessis was injured and played as an impact sub.

Kohli stepped down after the 2021 season and announced the decision just days after he confirmed he would resign as India’s T20I captain after T20 World Cup in 2021.

I don’t think it has been confirmed yet, but he will be the captain, I think, looking at the squad,” said de Villiers.

He also reflected his views on RCB’s squad buys during the auction.

“We got Bhuvneshwar Kumar, happy with Josh Hazlewood. We did miss out on a couple here and there. Rabada was close, but at least we got Lungi Ngidi. He’s got a wonderful slower ball, if he is in form and fit, he is a force to be reckoned with,” said the former Proteas captain.

De Villiers also spoke about RCB missing Ashwin. He also feels that the side lacks a spinner who can turn the ball both ways is a problem for the team.

“We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin. CSK got him, but very happy to see him in the yellow jersey again.”

“But all in all, I’m fairly happy. It’s a well-balanced squad, we are missing a match-winning spinner but hopefully we are able to balance the squad in such a manner that we make Chinnaswamy a fortress. This squad should work at Chinnaswamy.”

“On the road, I feel we might miss out on someone who turns both ways. We need it, and I feel we are lacking it a little bit. It reminds me a touch about the transfer window some time in the future.”

“I wish the IPL and the BCCI will bring out a transfer window, where half-way through the tournament, we could make transfers. You can possibly get an extra spinner into the squad, a wrist spinner, perhaps, or you could go back to the unsold list. It’s something to think about,” said the South African great.

However it is suprising that RCB did not use RTM card on Faf, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell or Will Jacks but rather went for a new set of players in the auction.