Virat Kohli’s Heated Chat With Dinesh Karthik Sparks Rumors About RCB Captaincy

The recent IPL 2025 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals brought not only a thrilling game but also some off-field drama that has caught everyone’s attention. While Delhi Capitals secured a strong win by 6 wickets and continued their unbeaten streak this season, it was Virat Kohli’s animated conversation with coach Dinesh Karthik that became the highlight for many fans. This intense chat has sparked rumors that Kohli might be unhappy with decisions made by RCB skipper Rajat Patidar during the match.

RCB had a decent start while defending their total of 163 runs. They sent back the top three Delhi batsmen for a mere 30 runs which gave their supporters an expectation of a turnaround. But KL Rahul playing on his home soil asserted himself and played a captain's innings. His unplayed 93 turned the match fully in the favour of Delhi Capitals. In spite of initial tension Rahul remained composed and chased the target easily leading his team to victory with over two overs to spare.

As Rahul took command towards the latter half of the game cameras captured Kohli having a quite intense and emotional conversation with Dinesh Karthik on the sidelines. This clip went viral very soon and numerous fans and pundits wondered whether Virat Kohli was voicing his discontent over the manner in which Rajat Patidar played the game. Some people felt that Kohli was making observations regarding fielding tactics which did not impress him. While the topic of conversation between Kohli and Karthik remains unclear as of now, the body language indicated that the former RCB skipper was definitely not satisfied.

Even those who are veteran cricketers like Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag who were providing commentary for the match during this time noted that the exchange between the two felt out of character. They explained that since Kohli is no longer the captain he needs to discuss his issues directly with the present skipper and not just with the coach. This also added to the social media buzz where fans pointed out that Kohli did talk to senior bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar subsequently perhaps about similar on-field issues.

Meanwhile, all of this was happening the RCB team suffered a dejecting defeat and post-match Rajat Patidar owned up that the batting of the team disappointed them. He said that the pitch appeared good for batting but the batters collapsed after getting well started. He informed that the team fell from 80 for 1 to 90 for 4 which was not expected considering the calibre in their batting lineup. Patidar credited Tim David with late acceleration and also commended the bowlers for powerplay but agreed that the team must evaluate situations better and maintain things simple.

The way things are currently Royal Challengers Bengaluru are placed at third position in the IPL standings and Delhi Capitals remain atop the table with their impeccable record. The pressure obviously is building up on RCB and these minor cracks are beginning to emerge. If a big gun like Virat Kohli can be visibly upset during a game then obviously questions must be raised regarding team dynamics and communication within the team. Kohli has always been vocal and spirited on the pitch and although he is no longer captain his presence in the team does not weaken.

This event also highlights the leadership of Rajat Patidar. It never is easy to assume captaincy particularly in such a high-profile team as RCB where one has sky-high expectations. Working with big players and dealing with pressure at tight situations is not an easy thing to do. Whether this bit of disagreement converts into a much larger issue or gets sorted within the dressing room only time can tell.

In cricket especially in leagues like IPL where every game matters emotions often run high. Kohli’s conversation with Karthik may have just been a moment of passion but the timing and the way it played out on live television made it look serious. Fans are now waiting to see how RCB bounces back from this loss and whether the captain and senior players can find common ground to focus on winning matches again.

At the moment the focus keyword [Virat Kohli unhappy with Rajat Patidar] is still in the trend as fans and analysts continue to speculate what really went down during that heated conversation. Whether it was a heated argument or an indicator of deeper discord time will tell but one thing is certain RCB has some head scratching to do before their next game.