Virat Kohli to play BBL for same team as Steve Smith? Three-time winners claims RCB star has signed a two-year deal: Here's all you need to know

Virat Kohli to play BBL for same team as Steve Smith? Three-time winners claims RCB star has signed a two-year deal: Here's all you need to know
RCB's Virat Kohli applauds teammate; Steve Smith reacts during Sydney Sixers' clash.

Story Highlights:

Virat Kohli averages over 70 in T20Is on Australian soil.

Indian players can't play in Men's BBL until and unless they're retired from international cricket and IPL.

Sydney Sixers have won the BBL title three times.

The three-time Big Bash League (BBL) winners Sydney Sixers on April 1 announced that Virat Kohli has signed a two-year deal to play for the franchise in Australia. The post went viral on social media as it meant two greats of modern-day cricket, Kohli and Steve Smith playing franchise cricket together. However, it was an April Fool's Day prank, the franchise clarified a few hours later.

"King Kohli! Virat Kohli is officially a Sixer for the next TWO seasons!" Sixers posted on their social media accounts. 

 

 

 

"April Fools" the franchise clarified. 

 

 

As per the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) rules, Kohli can't play franchise cricket in Australia even if he wants to. BCCI allows male players to play in other leagues only when they have retired from international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Kohli's T20I record in Australia

Kohli has a phenomenal T20I record on Australian soil. From 16 innings, he has scored 747 runs at an average of 74.70, including nine half-centuries. His unbeaten 82 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) against Pakistan in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 group stage match is one of the best knocks in T20I run chases.

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Kohli unlikely to play another Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia

Before the IPL 2025, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter said that he may not play another Test series on Australian soil and has made peace with his performances on last tour. 

"I might not have another Australia tour in me, so I am at peace with whatever happened in the past," Kohli said.

 

 

However, Kohli has not retired from ODIs and will return to Australia later this year. India are scheduled to play a three-ODI series on Australian soil from October 19 to October 25. Kohli has a good ODI record in Australia as well. From 29 innings, he has scored 1,327 runs at an average of 51.03. He has five centuries and six fifties in Australia as well.

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Kohli in IPL 2025 so far

From two games, Kohli has scored 90 runs so far. In the first T20I, he remained unbeaten for 59 in the run chase against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In the clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he looked sluggish and managed to score 31 runs from 30 innings. But RCB were able to break the jinx in Chennai with their first win in 17 years.