‘They came back in 2011, but I said...’: Virat Kohli recalls how he denied another IPL franchise's offer

Virat Kohli is a remarkable player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, as he has been playing for a single franchise since the tournament's inception in 2008. Kohli has been an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), which has been a three-time runner-up in the IPL. 

His unwavering loyalty to the franchise has made him a household name and a fan favorite. Despite the ups and downs of the team's performance, Kohli's consistent and exceptional performance has been a source of inspiration for his teammates and fans alike. 

Kohli's performance in the RCB franchise has been nothing short of exceptional. In the early years, he was fortunate enough to share the dressing room with some of the greatest players of all time, including Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, and Kevin Pietersen. Later on, he formed a formidable trio with Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, leading the team to the final in IPL 2016. Kohli captained the franchise for several years before stepping down after the 2021 season.

Interestingly, the 34-year-old recently revealed that he had considered joining another franchise during the early years of the IPL. However, they didn't show much interest at the time. When they eventually came back to him, he rejected their offer, citing RCB's unwavering support and loyalty as the reason for his decision.

“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. 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,” Kohli told Robin Uthappa during an interview for JioCinema.

"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’," he added.

Virat Kohli is currently the top run-scorer in the Indian Premier League, having amassed an impressive 6,844 runs with five centuries at an average of 36.59 and a strike rate of 129.67. Despite Kohli's individual success, his team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), have struggled in the current season of IPL 2023. With only two wins out of their first five games, RCB currently find themselves in the eighth position in the overall standings.

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