17400% Hike; How Virat Kohli's IPL Price Has Increased Since 2008

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Virat Kohli For IPL [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]Virat Kohli For IPL [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]

Virat Kohli has been one of the biggest names in Indian cricket in the past decade. He has scored the bulk of runs for the team, won important games and established himself as a legend of the game. 

Besides being the biggest name in Indian cricket, Kohli has also emerged as the most valuable asset for his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has been a part of the franchise since the inception of the league and has become an integral part of it.

Notably, Virat Kohli was bought by RCB in IPL 2008 and has not been released by the franchise since then. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, the franchise retained the star Indian player for a hefty price of ₹ 21 Cr.

Virat Kohli's First IPL Contract

But have you ever wondered what his salary hike has been over the years? Or how much of a hike in salary has he gotten since his first IPL contract?

Let us turn the clock back to the IPL 2008 auction. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru invested in an under-19 rising starlet. They picked up Virat Kohli in the IPL auction for a steal deal of ₹ 12 Lakhs. Since then, he has been an appreciating asset for the franchise, with his value proportionally increasing with his performance. 

Virat Kohli's IPL Price Over The Years

Let us look at the IPL contract values of Kohli over the years - 

Virat Kohli Salary In IPL Over The Years [Courtesy: Data Wrapper]Virat Kohli Salary In IPL Over The Years [Courtesy: Data Wrapper]

So, we can see a significant rise in his value during his second year in the tournament. Since then, the value of Kohli in the IPL market has increased except for the 2022-24 cycle. 

Let us compare the increase in his IPL salary over the years - 

Year
Increase %
2011 6800
201450.96
201737.5
2022-11.76
202540

Table - Virat Kohli's Increase% In IPL Salary Over The Years

The increase% table gives us the salary changes of Virat Kohli over the years. But if you compare his IPL 2008 salary with his IPL 2025 salary, then the value has increased by 17,400%. This is an unrealistic hike in salary, but when you are Virat Kohli and you are as good as him at your job, then this looks normal.