New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) CEO Rajesh Menon has said that the star batsmen. Virat Kohli he will remain licensed for the “next three to four years”, and added that the club has not considered a future outside of RCB, even after his career.Kohli delivered another strong IPL season, finishing as RCB’s top scorer in IPL 2026 with 675 runs at a rate of 165.84 – his highest in a single edition. Finally, he played an unbeaten knock of 75 which helped RCB become the third team after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to successfully defend their title.“RCB and Virat are different sides of the same coin,” Menon told CNBC TV18.“He has always supported RCB. We have never seen him stay in RCB even after his retirement from cricket. We have to think about it. That said, in the next three or four years, I’m sure they’ll be playing… for at least four years. He is enough, he never hungers. You saw him this IPL season bringing energy, pace, attitude… everything was there. Three to four years, no problem,” he said.Kohli, who has been with the RCB establishment since the inception of the IPL in 2008, often talks about his motivation and love for the game.“I just give my heart and soul on the field, whether I’m batting or batting, because I’m going to finish one day,” Kohli said last month. “And I want to make the most of every day that I’m on the field and just enjoy myself and have a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the pressure, I’m looking forward to the situations where I’m feeling a little warm. And then I challenge myself that, you know what, just go. And when you cross the line, it makes you a better player.“And sports, as you know, teach you a lot as a person. So you build your character slowly and surely while still performing under pressure. And for me, even after all these years and the numbers and everything you said, I still love the game. I like to hit the ball in the middle of the ball. And that joy is still there.Despite retiring from Tests and T20Is, Kohli said he wants to continue playing ODI cricket until the 2027 World Cup.Kohli missed the recent Afghanistan ODIs due to a hip injury, but chief selector Ajit Agarkar expects him to be fit for the upcoming ODI series against England in July.“We’re in the middle of 2026. I’ve been asked many times, ‘Do you want to play in 2027?’ Can I leave the house and get my things and be like ‘I don’t know what I want’?” Kohli said on the RCB podcast. “Of course, if I am playing, I want to play cricket, I want to continue. Playing the World Cup in India is amazing.”He also made it clear that he does not want to show that he is very important in the team.“My view is clear,” Kohli said. “If I can add value to the environment I live in and the environment feels like I can add value, I will be visible.“If I’ve been made to feel like I need to prove that I’m valuable and valuable, I’m not in that position. And because I’m being honest about my preparation, I’m being honest about how I approach the game. I put my head down, I work hard. I’m very grateful to God for giving me everything I’ve been given in my cricket career. And I feel very blessed and grateful for the opportunity.“And when I get to play, I put my head down, I work as hard as anyone else. And I play the game the right way. You want me to run boundary to boundary in 40 overs in an ODI match, I will do it without hesitation. Because I prepare accordingly. I plan to bowl 50 overs, every ball like the last ball I play in my career. And beat me that way. And I will run between the wickets that way. And I will do everything possible for this team.
Which part of Kohli’s performance do you admire the most?
“After working like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove that I’m important and important, that place is not right for me. And I’m very clear in my head from that point of view. That’s why when I went back to play, I was clear in my head that I’m not going out to prove anything to anyone. I’m going to play because I love playing the game.”
