In the first three seasons of the IPL, RCB qualified for the knockouts twice, nearly claiming the title in 2009. The franchise opted to build the team around the rising Kohli for the next few editions.
The 33-year-old talked about how he asked to be made the No.3 batter in the team after batting low down at No.5 in the first few IPL seasons. While speaking on the RCB podcast, Kohli said:
RCB acquired the likes of AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Zaheer Khan in the auction. Moreover, in a move that would reap them rich dividends for years to come, the franchise roped in Chris Gayle as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes.
“I was playing No.3 for India, and I was not getting to do it for RCB” - Virat Kohli
The 33-year-old spoke about his struggles in the initial seasons of the IPL. In the first three seasons of the competition, playing mostly at No.5 and No.6, Kohli scored only 718 runs at an average of 21.76.
Playing so deep in the middle order did not come naturally to him. However, he had no other option, as there were experienced players for the No.3 spot like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ross Taylor.
Speaking on the frustration of not being able to play in the No.3 position despite having cemented the same spot in the Indian team, Kohli said:
The ace batter would eventually get his beloved No.3 spot, and make the most of it. He would subsequently move up to the top of the order for the sake of the team’s balance.
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