“Virat Kohli will play for at least three to four more years”: RCB CEO Rajesh Menon

Virat Kohli (BCCI/IPL Photo) NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) CEO Rajesh Menon has said that star batsman Virat Kohli will stay with the franchise for “at least three to four years”, adding that the team never envisioned a future where he was not associated with RCB even after his playing career ended.Kohli had another strong IPL season, finishing as RCB’s top run-scorer in IPL 2026 with 675 runs at a strike rate of 165.84 – his highest ever in a single edition. In the final, he played a crucial knock of an unbeaten 75 which helped RCB become only the third team after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to successfully defend their title.“RCB and Virat are different sides of the same coin,” Menon told CNBC TV18.“He has been a constant factor for RCB all along. We didn’t see him not being a part of RCB even if he walks away from his cricket career. We have to find out. That means the next three to four years, I’m sure he will play… at least four years. He’s fit, he’s never hungry. You’ve seen him in this IPL season to bring energy, absolutely no problem, he’s been there for three years.Kohli, who has been with the RCB setup since the inception of the IPL in 2008, has often spoken about his motivation and love for the game.“I just put my heart and soul out there on the field, whether I’m fielding or batting, because one day it’s going to end,” Kohli said last month. “And I want to make the most of every day that I’m on the field and just enjoy myself and have a lot of fun and look forward to pressure situations, look forward to scenarios where I feel a little bit hot. And then I challenge myself to say, you know what, just go for it. And when you cross the line, it makes you a better player.”“And sports, you know, teach you a lot as a person. So you build your character slowly and surely when you perform under pressure. And for me, even after all these years and numbers and whatever you said, it’s still the love of the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. And the joy is still there.”Although retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli said he wants to continue playing ODI cricket at least until the 2027 World Cup.Kohli missed the recent ODI in Afghanistan with a hamstring injury, but chief selector Ajit Agarkar expects him to be fit for the upcoming ODI series against England in July.“We’re halfway through 2026. I’ve been asked many times, ‘Do you want to play in 2027?’ Why would I leave home, take things and think ‘I don’t know what I want’? Kohli said on the RCB podcast. “Obviously if I play, I want to play cricket, I want to continue. Playing the World Cup for India is amazing.”He also made it clear that he does not want to constantly prove his worth in the team.“My view is very clear,” Kohli said. “If I can add value to the environment I’m a part of, and the environment feels like I can add value, I’ll be seen.“If I feel like I need to prove my value and worth, I’m not in that space. And because I’m honest about my preparation, I’m honest about how I approach the game. I put my head down, I work hard. I’m very grateful to God for giving me everything I’ve been given in my cricket career. And I feel very blessed and grateful for this opportunity.“And when I come to play, I put my head down, I work as hard if not harder than anybody else. And I play the game the right way. You want me to run from boundary to boundary for 40 overs in an ODI game, I’ll do it without complaint. Because that’s what I prepare for. I prepare to put up 50 overs and play every at-bat to play the last ball. run between the wickets and do that for the team everything.

Which aspect of Kohli’s performance do you admire the most?

“After operating like that, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my value and worth, this place is not meant for me. And from that point of view, I’m clear in my head. That’s why when I came back to the game, I was clear in my head that I’m not going to go there to prove anything to anybody. I’m going to play because I love the game.”