Virat Kohli is the only player in IPL's history to represent one franchise in every season so far. He joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) before IPL 2008 and has been playing for them since then. Virat did struggle in the initial seasons of IPL but RCB always backed him. He was always a regular in RCB's playing XI and he became a force with the bat starting IPL 2011.
While Virat is now the biggest player for RCB and he looks set to play for them forever, there was a time when he could have left the franchise. Speaking to Robin Uthappa on Jio Cinema in 2023, Virat hinted that he could have left RCB early in his IPL career. He had a conversation with another franchise. The franchise didn't pay heed to Virat's suggestion of batting in the top three.
Virat further revealed that the same franchise came back to him after he became a star for RCB and Team India. "It’s been amazing. Why I value this partnership and journey with RCB so much, is because in the first 3 years of the IPL, they backed me a lot. Even when the retentions happened, they said, ‘we want to retain you’. My only feedback to Ray Jennings at the time was ‘I want to bat in top-order. I bat at 3 for India, and I want to bat at 3’. And they said, ‘okay, you will bat at 3’. They showed faith in me at the time when I needed it. I was growing in my international career as well," Virat said.
"That is of more value for me. I won’t take names but another franchise who I spoke to at the time… they were not even keen enough to listen to me. I was playing lower down the order at the time (5-6). I was like, ‘if I could get the opportunity to bat in the top of the order somewhere else…’ The same franchise, because I had played for India and performed in 2011, before the retention, came to me and said, ‘can you please come to the auction?’ I said, ‘no chance. I will always be with the franchise that backs me."
Virat took over RCB's captaincy before IPL 2013 and led them till 2021. Under him, RCB made it to the final of IPL 2016, where they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad. They only played one IPL final under him.
Virat stepped down as RCB's captain after the second phase of IPL 2021. He played under Faf du Plessis in IPL 2022, 2023 and 2024. The right-handed batsman remained part of the leadership group and led the team when du Plessis was absent. Virat looks all but set to be retained before the IPL 2025 mega-auction.