Virat Kohli not signing RCB’s commercial contract leads to exit speculations; Aakash Chopra clears air

Virat Kohli won the IPL 2025 trophy with RCB.

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has stated that, while reports suggest that Virat Kohli has refused to renew a contract with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), this is a commercial decision, and the reported denial does not imply that the ace Indian batter is quitting the IPL or leaving for another franchise.

Several reports on Sunday, October 12, referenced RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan, who claimed that Kohli has not renewed his commercial contract with Bengaluru ahead of the IPL 2026.

This has lit a fire in speculators about Virat Kohli’s future in the IPL. However, Aakash Chopra has refuted all the claims and assured the Kohli fans that their favorite cricketer is going nowhere.

“He has reportedly refused a commercial contract, but what does that mean? He will definitely play for RCB. If he is playing, he is definitely going to turn out for the same franchise. He (Kohli) has just won the trophy. Why will he leave the franchise then? He isn’t going anywhere. What contract can be refused is in the realm of speculation. He might have a dual contract," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“A commercial contract is the side contract apart from the playing contract. He has reportedly refused to sign a commercial contract. There are also reports that RCB is going up for sale," Chopra added.

Kohli was instrumental in RCB's historic IPL 2025 victory, which marked the team's first T20 league trophy. He scored 657 runs in 15 games at a fantastic 54.75 average and 144.71 strike rate, including eight fifties and a top score of 73*.

Kohli has scored the most runs in the Indian Premier League. In 267 games with RCB, he has scored 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 132.85, with eight hundreds and 63 fifties.