Royal Challengers Bengaluru talisman Virat Kohli is yet to sign a commercial deal with the franchise if reports are to be believed. Kohli, who has been with RCB throughout his career, is one of the most powerful commercial commodities in world cricket. With Kohli not signing a new contract ahead of the IPL mini-auction, speculation is rife that the former captain could leave the franchise – or worse, walk out of the competition.
However, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif rubbished the rumours, stating that Kohli’s non-signing of a business deal with the franchise could be an indication that the team will soon undergo a change of ownership. Kaif said on his YouTube channel that Kohli is true to his word and will never change teams in the Indian Premier League. Kaif further added that Kohli is definitely not walking out of the tournament immediately after winning the title for the first time in his life.
“Is Virat Kohli leaving IPL? No guys. Virat Kohli promised to play his first and last match only for Bengaluru. He promised and because he did, he won’t back down. But people say he didn’t sign a commercial contract. There are two agreements – a player contract and a commercial contract,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“The reason he hasn’t signed a commercial contract is because a new owner may come for RCB and they will control the franchise. That’s why he’s waiting. If there’s a change, then there will be negotiations and everything. It’s all behind-the-scenes stuff and we don’t have much information about these things. He’s waiting for that,” he added.
RCB for sale
Earlier, former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi suggested that RCB’s owners are likely to sell the franchise when they are at their commercial peak – right after winning the IPL.
“There have been many rumors of selling the @iplt20 franchise, specifically @royalchallengers.bengaluru. Bids have been rejected in the past but it seems the owners have finally decided to take it off their balance sheet and sell it,” Lalit Modi said in September.
According to a June report by Diageo Plc, which through United Spirits Ltd. owns RCB, has begun preliminary talks with advisers to evaluate various exit options, including an outright sale.
Speaking to former Australia captain Michael Clarke on a podcast last month, Lalit Modi said that if RCB decides to sell, it would be unwise to do so for less than US$2 billion. He suggested that if the sale were to happen next year, the valuation could reach $2.5 billion.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
October 16, 2025
