Royal Challengers Bengaluru begin a fresh quest to win an IPL title later this week when they face Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in the season opener. The franchise has never laid hands on the trophy despite having recruited some of the biggest names from the world of T20 cricket over the years. The franchise has undergone changes over the years, but the presence of batting superstar Virat Kohli has been a constant. Kohli, part of RCB ever since the IPL began in 2008, has produced record-breaking performances with the bat for the team. Despite his aura, Kohli remains approachable, at least to the players as per new RCB recruit Jitesh Sharma. “Yeah, Virat is very approachable. It might be difficult for the outsiders but for use players it’s different,” Jitesh told CricXtasy. “We ask him about the game. I remember the match between PBKS and RCB in Mohali. I scored around 42 and we collapsed. We lost by 10-20 runs. I approached him and introduced myself. He said I know who you are. I asked him a few questions and he explained them really well.” “I asked how to become more consistent in T20s. He responded that reading the wicket regarding the shots to be played will help you become more consistent. It has helped me in shot selection. He has vast knowledge of the game, but I have to be sensible and intelligent enough to absorb it,” he added. Ever since RCB decided to recruit just three players before the IPL mega auction, there were rumours around Kohli’s return to captaincy. However, last month, the franchise announced Rajat Patidar as their new skipper. Jitesh indicated Kohli wasn’t interested in captaincy. “I only got to know (about Patidar) when everybody else did. But you tend to grasp certain things having played cricket for a long time now. Like Virat bhai didn’t want to be the captain. I don’t know why but once I have retired and entered into the management then will let you know. He wasn’t the captain for the past two-three years, so it was likely he won’t do it this year too. Best option was Rajat Patidar,” Jitesh said. Being a senior player himself, the thought of him becoming the RCB captain never cross his mind. “I never even thought about the captaincy. Even I would’ve picked Rajat (for captaincy) if I was part of RCB management. He deserves it because he’s been part of RCB for so many years. I am fresh recruit so will take some time to get used to their management. I may help Rajat as a senior since we both belong to the central zone and have played a lot of cricket, the brotherhood exits. Rajat will get all the assistance needed,” he said.