Virat Kohli’s dedication to cricket is unquestionable and his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate has reiterated the same as he revealed an inspiring conversation with the star. The RCB veteran, who has been with the franchise since the inception of IPL in 2008, will turn 37 years old by the time IPL 2026 arrives. Ahead of the new season, Kohli’s teammate Swastik Chikara has shed light on the ex-RCB captain’s retirement plans.
When will Kohli retire from IPL?
In an interview to RevSportz, Chikara revealed that Kohli had told him he would retire the day he will play a match as an Impact Player. He said that the RCB stalwart had told him that he would stay fit as long as he was playing cricket, adding that he intends to field the entire 20 overs and then come out to bat as well.
“Virat bhaiya said, ‘Jab tak cricket khelunga, jab tak main poora fit hoon. Ye Impact Player ki tarah nahi khelunga. Main sher ki tarah khelunga (I will play cricket for as long as I am completely fit. I won’t play as an Impact Player. I will play like a lion). I will field for the full 20 overs and then bat. The day I have to play as an Impact Player, I will quit cricket”, Chikara said.
Apart from the IPL, Kohli is active only in the One-Day International (ODI) format. He first retired from T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024. Virat then took the entire world by surprise in May 2025 when he announced his abrupt decision to retire from Tests just before the IND vs ENG series.
As a skipper, Virat was never able to lead RCB to an IPL title although he dominated multiple seasons as a batter. Kohli finally managed to lay his hands on the silverware in 2025 as RCB ended their 17-year wait to finally lift the IPL trophy.
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