Virat Kohli’s name has long been inseparable from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, having represented the franchise since the inception of the Indian Premier League. As the only player in IPL history to play every season for a single team, his loyalty to RCB is legendary. However, in a revealing conversation on the latest episode of the RCB podcast, the former Indian captain shared that he once seriously contemplated leaving the team.
The years between 2016 and 2019 marked an especially difficult period in Kohli’s life and career. The dual responsibility of captaining both Team India and RCB began to weigh heavily on him. The mounting expectations, relentless scrutiny, and his own high standards took a toll on his mental well-being. Opening up about this challenging phase, Kohli admitted that the idea of switching franchises did cross his mind.
“I’ve told this before. I’ve had this opportunity to explore, to look elsewhere, especially in the peak years of my career. From 2016-19, I had these constant suggestions to switch.. At one point it did become really tough for me because there was too much happening in my career. I was captaining India for a period of 7-8 years, was captaining RCB for 9 year. There were expectations from me from the batting perspective, every game I played.”
He described feeling as though the spotlight never left him, with pressure building from every angle, both on and off the field. “I did not have the sense, that attention was off me. I was always in the space where I didn’t know ‘what to do’? I was exposed to it 24×7 and it got really tough on me. I decided, if I wanted to be in this place, I needed to be happy. I wanted to be in space where I could just play my cricket, without being judged,” he explained.
Virat Kohli’s reflections paint a rare, human picture of a cricketer often seen through the lens of statistics and records. His decision to stay with RCB, despite the personal and professional struggles, underscores the depth of his commitment and the emotional bond he shares with the franchise.
