Will Virat Kohli retire from IPL? Ex-Indian cricketer opens up

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Kris Srikkanth has opened up on former RCB captain Virat Kohli’s future with the franchise amid rumours of him not signing the commercial contract ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer asserted that it’s just speculation as Kohli has just won RCB its maiden IPL title, and affirmed that he will continue playing for the franchise in the forthcoming season.

"It's just a speculation because he (Kohli) has just won RCB the IPL. So I don't think he'll retire. These are all obvious rumors. These are just business decisions (change in ownership). But as far as Virat Kohli is concerned, he'll continue with RCB,” Srikkanth told on his YouTube channel.

Speaking about Kohli's stats, he emerged as the leading run-scorer for the Bengaluru franchise in the IPL 2025 season, scoring 657 runs from 15 games at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71 with eight half-centuries.

Furthermore, Srikkanth reckoned that Kohli has enough in his tank that he can give easily another three years of him for the franchise, adding that he will continue to score runs being the king of kings in the cash-rich league.

"Why should he retire? He played brilliantly even in this IPL. Unless he himself personally takes a decision, that's a different matter altogether. Virat Kohli is good enough to play another three years of IPL. He will score runs always, being the king of kings," he added.

Notably, the franchises are informed by the BCCI that the player retentions need to be finalized by November 15. Moreover, the BCCI is aiming to conduct the IPL 2026 mini-auction around mid-December.

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For the unversed, Kohli is all set to make his international comeback for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in the three-match ODI series vs Australia Down Under, on Sunday, October 19 in Perth.

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