RCB’s poster boy and newly crowned IPL champion of 2025, Virat Kohli, has allegedly refused to extend a central contract with the franchise on the eve of the 2026 season. This dramatic development has raised eyebrows over his future participation with the team.
According to a report by RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan, Kohli was to ink an extension on a commercial contract involving RCB’s brand operations. But sources indicate the ex-captain has decided not to go through with the deal. Neither Kohli nor the franchise has made a public comment, but the news has raised eyebrows and sparked speculation regarding a potential change in his long-term relationship with the franchise.
“Last time before the mega-auction, I got the lead that before the start of the next season of the IPL (that is in 2026), Virat Kohli would have to renew a contract in association with a brand. But the news is, he has not renewed his contract. Now the speculation is that Virat wants the RCB franchise to plan their way ahead without using his face,” reported Rohit Juglan.
“Even last year, ahead of the mega-auction, when he was offered captaincy of the RCB side, he did not show interest in it and rather pined for Rajat Patidar and backed him with utter confidence,” he added in his report.
“Virat won’t act like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I am not criticizng Dhoni; I just mean that, like, MS Dhoni retired from T20 internationals in 2020 and is still continuing with the IPL in 2025 and is expected to play in 2026 as well. Virat Kohli is not likely to continue so long once he retires from One-Days for the national side,” said Juglan from his YouTube channel.
Kohli, who had retired from Test cricket at the start of the year, has had a pretty low-profile time of it recently. While nothing can be sure, the report suggests the iconic batsman might be mulling over a phased withdrawal from the IPL something that would signal the end of an era for him as much as for RCB.
