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Virat Kohli 'going nowhere'; rumours of him not signing RCB commercial deal slammed shut: 'He has promised...'
Amid rumours over Virat Kohli’s IPL future, Mohammad Kaif clarified his loyalty to RCB, setting the record straight on both his player and commercial contracts.
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has dismissed rumours surrounding Virat Kohli’s IPL future, following reports claiming he hasn’t renewed his commercial contract with the franchise for the upcoming season. Despite RCB’s sale speculation making headlines after their title win last year, there has been no official statement on either the franchise’s ownership status or Kohli’s plans.
Kohli has been the backbone of RCB since the IPL’s inception, remaining the only player to represent a single franchise for 17 consecutive seasons. He has frequently spoken about his loyalty to the team, making it clear he would never don another franchise’s jersey. However, the rumours of him not being willing to sign a new commercial contract have raised doubts over his future.
Amid swirling rumours over Kohli’s IPL future, Kaif has stepped in to set the record straight, reaffirming the star batter's loyalty to RCB and clarifying the confusion around his commercial and player contracts.
"Is Virat Kohli retiring from IPL? No guys, Virat Kohli had promised that he will play his first and last match for Benglauru only. He has promised this and since he has done it, he will not back out. But people are saying he hasn’t signed a commercial deal. There are two deals, players’ contract and commercial contract," Kaif said.
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The former cricketer acknowledged the reports of RCB being put on the sale, and it might be a reason why Kohli is waiting and hesitant to renew his commercial contract.
"The reason he has not signed a commercial contract is because a new owner might come for RCB and they will control the franchise. That’s why he is waiting, if there’s a change, then there will be negotiation and all. These are all behind the scenes stuff and we don’t have a lot of information about these things. He is waiting for all that," he added.
"Virat Kohli will play only for RCB"
Kaif, who has also played for RCB in the past, further praised the star batter’s recent form across formats, highlighting his match-winning performances and consistency. He firmly asserted that Kohli isn’t retiring anytime soon, insisting he will continue playing for RCB, staying true to his promise to fans.
"Virat Kohli has started playing only now. RCB has began winning trophies now. Kohli scored 650+ runs and made them win the trophy. He made runs in the Champions Trophy 2025, he was the Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final and was the Player of the Tournament in the 2023 World Cup. He has only started playing now. Now you have to wait for more. He is going nowhere. He will play only for RCB. He has promised it to the fans and he will not break it," he added.
