New Zealand analyst Simon Doull sparked debate by claiming that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) should have retired Virat Kohli in the middle of the first innings against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026 on Sunday, April 20.
Kohli opened the innings well, striking 20 runs off his first 11 balls. However, as the innings progressed, MI's preparations against him limited his run flow, and he was eventually out for 50 (37) with a below-par strike rate of 131.58.
To compensate, RCB captain Rajat Patidar took more risks at the other end, scoring 53 runs off just 20 balls.
Patidar was hitting big shots to give RCB the momentum it needed, when Doull proposed the idea of retiring out Kohli. Doull believed that replacing Kohli with a more natural finisher in Tim David would benefit RCB more, as the ex-RCB captain was struggling to score boundaries.
“Patidar should give a message to Virat saying get on with it, or we might have to sub you out," Doull said on air.
Phil Salt made 78, and Rajat Patidar made 53, while Tim David made 34* in 16 balls, to propel RCB to 240/4 in 20 overs.
Simon Doull’s suggestion resulted in varied reactions by fans on social media.
Here are a few:
