Virat Kohli In IPL: A Timeline Of 18 Years Of Loyalty With RCB

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Virat Kohli’s loyalty, record-breaking performances, and passion for RCB cemented his legacy as one of IPL’s greatest icons. Despite never lifting the trophy, his journey with RCB remains one of the most memorable in IPL history.

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2008: Virat Kohli joined RCB in the inaugural season of the IPL after being signed by United Spirits. At just 19 years old, he played his first IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

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2009: Virat Kohli was retained by RCB for 2nd season, but he struggled with form and wasn’t a standout performer this season.

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2010: RCB underwent a jersey color transformation, shifting from yellow-red to gold-red. and the team reached the semi-finals, finishing as the third-best team of the tournament after losing to Mumbai Indians.

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2011: Kohli's form improved significantly, making him a strong contender for the Orange Cap. RCB reached the finals against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but lost by 58 runs, finishing as runners-up.

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2012: It was a turning point in his career, pushing him to improve fitness and technique.

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2013: Kohli was appointed as RCB’s full-time captain, succeeding Daniel Vettori. Under his leadership, he emerged as one of the top three run-scorers of the season, averaging 45 runs per match.

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2014: RCB finished a disappointing seventh in the points table, Kohli’s aggression and leadership remained strong, but the team struggled with consistency.

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2015: Despite a slow start, Kohli led RCB to the playoffs and RCB finished at third position losing to CSK in the semi-finals.

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2016: Kohli had a phenomenal season, scoring 973 runs in 16 matches, the highest-ever tally in a T20 tournament. He won the Orange Cap, leading RCB to the finals against Gujarat Lions, but the team fell short of victory.

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2017: RCB hit rock bottom, finishing last in the standings and Virat Kohli struggled with form, managing only 308 runs with four half-centuries.

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2018: RCB retained Kohli for a whopping ₹17 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL 2018 and despite immense efforts RCB finished sixth, and Kohli apologized to fans, promising a stronger comeback.

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2019: RCB won only five out of 14 matches, leading to another disappointing season.

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2020: Virat Kohli remained the backbone of RCB while teammates changed over the years.

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2021: This year Virat Kohli announced that it would be his last season as captain of RCB and from 2022 Faf du Plessis became the captain.

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2022: Even in struggling seasons, Kohli’s determination and leadership were evident.

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2023: Kohli’s unwavering loyalty, record-breaking performances, and passion for RCB cemented his legacy as one of IPL’s greatest icons.

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2024: Despite never lifting the trophy, his journey with RCB remains one of the most memorable in IPL history.

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2025: The number 18 will be back in the 18th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) which will be starting from March 22 with RCB playing against KKR at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.