Virat Kohli created history after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) confirmed their list of retained players on Thursday (October 31) ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The Bengaluru-based franchise decided to retain just three players with no overseas players kept back. Rajat Patidar and Yash Dayal (uncapped) will also stay with the franchise.
However, it is Kohli's salary that has raised eyebrows, with the Bengaluru-based franchise paying the former Indian captain a whopping Rs. 21 crore. He is one of three players that have been retained above the Rs. 18 crore slab set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) alongside Heinrich Klaasen (Rs. 23 crore by Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Nicholas Pooran (Rs. 21 crore by Lucknow Super Giants).
Virat Kohli Creates History
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Virat Kohli has created history and become the first-ever Indian player in the history of the IPL to earn a salary of more than Rs. 20 crore. Earlier, no Indian player had earned more than Kohli (Rs. 17 crore by RCB in 2017-2021) and KL Rahul (Rs. 17 crore by LSG from 2022-24). Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Sanju Samson will earn Rs. 18 crore in this cycle.
Last season, Mitchell Starc (Rs. 24.75 crore) and Pat Cummins (Rs. 20.5 crore) became the first player in history to earn more than Rs. 20 crores after they triggered a major bidding war in the mini auction.
Highest Paid Players In IPL History
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| Player | Salary | Year |
| Mitchell Starc (Australia) | Rs. 24.75 crore | 2024 |
| Heinrich Klaasen (South Afirca) | Rs. 23 crore | 2025 |
| Virat Kohli (India) | Rs. 21 crore | 2025 |
| Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) | Rs. 21 crore | 2025 |
| Pat Cummins (Australia) | Rs, 20.5 crore | 2024 |
Kohli will extend his record in the 2025 season and became the first player to play for the same franchise for 18 seasons in a row. At the end of the current three-year cycle, he will complete 20 years at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after joining them ahead of the inaugural season in 2008.
Kohli is set to have company in the Rs. 20 crore camp with KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant in the auction; more Indians are expected to breach the mark