Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bangalore have become synonymous with each other and the fact that he can play for someone else, it is utterly incredulous.
However, there are franchises that want Virat Kohli on their side and why not? At the end of it all, it is Kohli who can dent a serious blow to any team’s winning aspirations.
Virat Kohli has been growing exceptionally strong with the bat in the latest edition of the IPL and the way he has knocked over the bowlers in 2023, bringing his form back has been nothing short of wondrous.
A glance at the numbers of Virat Kohli in IPL
This is 15th year for the club and he has no intention of stopping short of the finish line at least ahead of the time when he decides to call it a day, let’s say 4 years down the line at least.
Kohli did reveal however, that there was another franchise whom Kohli wanted to play for and that too in the initial days of his playing career but at the end of it all, things didn’t pan out as the former Indian captain would have wanted and we are now where things work like magic for the King.
Talking to Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli said on an interview, “It’s been amazing. Why I value this partnership and journey with RCB so much, is because in the first 3 years of the IPL, they backed me a lot.”
He continued, “Even when the retentions happened, they said, ‘we want to retain you’. My only feedback to Ray Jennings at the time was ‘I want to bat in top-order. I bat at 3 for India, and I want to bat at 3’. And they said, ‘okay, you will bat at 3’. They showed faith in me at the time when I needed it. I was growing in my international career as well.”
He further added, “That is of more value for me. I won’t take names but another franchise who I spoke to at the time… they were not even keen enough to listen to me. I was playing lower down the order at the time (5-6). I was like, ‘if I could get the opportunity to bat in the top of the order somewhere else…’ The same franchise, because I had played for India and performed in 2011, before the retention, came to me and said, ‘can you please come to the auction?’ I said, ‘no chance. I will always be with the franchise that backs me.”
Kohli concluded by saying, “Yes, it was. And they denied it straightaway. I was like, fair enough.” As we know today, Virat Kohli still goes strong for the Royal Challengers and this season has already started on a phenomenal note for the former Indian skipper.
