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A Silent Goodbye? Virat Kohli’s latest move has fans worried as he steps away from RCB commitments
Virat Kohli reportedly skips RCB commercial contract ahead of IPL 2026, sparking speculation about his future with the franchise.
Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Team India captain Virat Kohli has reportedly refused to renew a commercial contract linked to RCB, reigniting speculation about his IPL future ahead of the 2026 season. Several reports, including by RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan, suggested Kohli has opted out of signing a commercial deal tied to the franchise.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra clarified the situation. “He might have a dual contract. A commercial contract is a side contract apart from the playing contract,” Chopra said. He reassured fans that Kohli has no plans to leave RCB. “He has reportedly refused a commercial contract, but what does that mean? He will definitely play for RCB. If he is playing, he is definitely going to turn out for the same franchise,” Chopra added.
Why Virat Kohli may be stepping back from commercial commitments
The reports suggest that Kohli wants the younger players to be the face of RCB. Rohit Juglan explained, “Virat wants the RCB franchise to plan their way ahead without using his face.” This aligns with Kohli’s previous decisions, including passing the captaincy to emerging batter Rajat Patidar before RCB’s maiden IPL 2025 title win. “Even last year, ahead of the mega-auction, when he was offered captaincy of the RCB side, he did not show interest in it and rather pined for Rajat Patidar and backed him with utter confidence,” Juglan said.
Here are some fan reactions from Twitter (X):
Virat Kohli’s on-field performance remains as remarkable as ever. He scored 657 runs in 15 games in IPL 2025, with an average of 54.75, a strike rate of 144.71, and eight fifties, helping RCB win their first-ever IPL trophy. Across 267 IPL games, all for RCB, Kohli has amassed 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54, with a strike rate of 132.85, including eight hundreds and 63 fifties.
While speculation about Kohli’s retirement continues, both Chopra and Juglan suggest that the refusal of a commercial contract does not indicate a departure from RCB or the IPL. “He has just won the trophy. Why will he leave the franchise then? He isn’t going anywhere,” Chopra said. Juglan added that, unlike MS Dhoni, who continued playing in the IPL after retiring from international cricket, Kohli may not follow the same path post-ODI retirement.
With RCB reportedly going up for sale and Kohli stepping back from branding commitments, questions about his long-term IPL involvement remain. However, his playing contract and recent performances suggest he will continue to lead RCB on the field, at least for the immediate future.
However, there's no official word regarding RCB or Virat Kohli on either of the matters.
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