'They have just won the trophy and no one will leave the team after winning the IPL title, so he is not going anywhere.'
Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes that Virat Kohli 'will definitely play' for champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, stating that the contract he has reportedly declined could be a commercial agreement.
Kohli has refused to sign the commercial contract with RCB for IPL 2026, according to RevSportz.
Reacting to reports, Chopra emphatically maintained that there is no way that Kohli will leave RCB just months after guiding them to their maiden IPL title.
"Virat Kohli has reportedly refused a commercial contract with RCB, believe it or not, but what does that actually entail? Will he not play for RCB? t is not that, he will definitely play for RCB. If he is playing, he is definitely going to play for the same franchise -- RCB," Chopra said on his YouTube channel
"They have just won the trophy and no one will leave the team after winning the IPL title, so he is not going anywhere."
Veteran Kohli was instrumental in RCB ending their long wait for a first IPL title earlier this year, scoring 657 runs from 15 games at an average of 54.75, with eight fifties.
Chopra clarified that the contract which he has not signed is most likely the commercial contract and not his playing contract.
"If he is playing and he is definitely playing I think, and he is playing for RCB, so what contract has he turned down? There might be a dual contract, it could be the commercial contract -- a side contract of the playing contract which he might have turned down, it looks like it."
The 10 IPL franchises have until November 15 to submit their player retention lists with the auction scheduled in December.
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