Home
As expected, Virat Kohli will continue his long-standing association with the Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 18th consecutive IPL season.
RCB retains old-guard Virat Kohli again
In a big move, RCB retained him as their first choice, shelling out a whopping 21 crores. This makes Kohli the most expensive Indian player in IPL history. Following the announcement, Kohli expressed his unwavering commitment to the team. He reiterated his desire to finally clinch the IPL trophy, a feat that has eluded him despite numerous close attempts.
"Hi guys, a big hello to everyone at RCB, the fans, the people involved. Behind the scenes. The management, everyone. I'm sending out this message to inform everyone that I've been retained by RCB once again for the three-year cycle of the IPL, beginning next year, and I'm super excited as ever," said Kohli after getting retained by RCB.
The 36-year-old expressed his determination to give his best and work tirelessly with his team to achieve glory. He vowed to do everything in his power to make the team proud.
"Something that we were really looking forward to as a franchise, as a team and also just looking ahead to this cycle all next year. Obviously, the goal is to win the IPL title at least once in the next cycle, and we're going to give it our best shot as always and try to make everyone proud of the way we play", Kohli added.
In addition to retaining Virat Kohli, RCB has also retained Rajat Patidar for 11 crores and Yash Dayal for 5 crores. With a significant purse of 83 crores remaining, RCB is well-positioned to build a strong team for the upcoming season. They can also utilize the Right to Match (RTM) card to retain up to three capped players from their previous squad.
The deadline for IPL franchises to submit their list of retained players for the 2025 season was October 31st. Each team was permitted to retain a maximum of six players, including a maximum of five capped players.
“We are thrilled to retain Yash Dayal, an extraordinary talent whose career is on an upward trajectory. Having witnessed Yash’s impressive performance last season, we are eager to secure this crucial role and support his continued development as a key player for RCB,” RCB head coach Andy Flower said after the franchise's retention list was announced.
