Will Virat Kohli Play IPL 2026? RCB Fans May Not See 2025 Winner 'King' in Season 19! – MensXP

Specialty: Sports
The 2026 edition of the IPL is still five months away and now there is speculation that Virat Kohli may not be playing in IPL 2026. The man who was part of the RCB side that won a maiden title in IPL 2025 could well leave the scene before the 19th season gets underway. There are rumours that Kohli has not signed a new contract with RCB ahead of IPL 2026.
Table of Contents
RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan said that Kohli was going to renew the contract for next season but reports indicate he has opted not to, which puts him in doubt for the event. Kohli has played only for RCB since the IPL began in 2008. His first title came in 2025. He has also led RCB in the past and holds many records as a batter.

“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,” Juglan was quoted as saying by Zee News.
“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 when referring to Kohli not wanting to be skipper. Rajat Patidar led the side that won the historic title.

“Virat won’t act like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I am not criticizing 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,” Juglan said on his YouTube channel.
Kohli has played 259 innings in 267 games across 18 seasons for RCB. He has scored 8661 runs at an average of 39.55 and a strike rate of 132.86. Not to mention 40 not-outs, eight 100s and 63 50s. His top score is 113 not out. Kohli as of now has the IPL records for most games with a single franchise, runs, 50s, 100s, 50-plus scores and runs in a single season. He’s also the only batter to score more than 600 runs in five editions. Kohli is an IPL legend and one hopes that journey continues in IPL 2026.
Specialty: Sports

source