On This Day In 2008: RCB Signed Virat Kohli To Seal IPL’s Greatest Deal

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli in action for RCB [Source: IPLT20.COM]Virat Kohli in action for RCB [Source: IPLT20.COM]

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Virat Kohli has completed 17 years at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise in IPL. Signed in by the RCB during an Under-19 player draft on March 11, 2008; Kohli had just led a young Indian team to victory at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

Aged 19 at the time, the Delhi-based cricketer marked his maiden IPL gig with just 165 runs in 12 innings before becoming the leading run-accumulator in the history of the tournament.

When RCB signed Virat Kohli in IPL

Virat Kohli was signed in by the RCB franchise on March 11, 17 years ago, for the inaugural season of IPL in 2008. The cricketer was up for grabs as part of India’s Under-19 player draft. Notably, just a week prior to his signing, Kohli led the Indian team to an emphatic victory against South Africa in Malaysia to lift the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, making him an instant fan favorite among the new crop of cricketers at the time.


Virat Kohli, who was born in Delhi and spent the entirety of his domestic career in the nation’s capital, was notably overlooked by the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) franchise for IPL 2008.

Nonetheless, Kohli joined RCB to compound an IPL deal for the ages as the legendary Indian cricketer remains the only player in tournament’s history so far to play all 18 seasons for a single franchise. He also led the team between the years 2013 and 2021 before getting replaced by Faf du Plessis.

Virat Kohli IPL stats

Virat Kohli has tallied the highest number of runs in IPL history with over 8,000 runs in 244 innings at an astonishing batting average of 38.66. Racking up 55 half-centuries and eight tons in the process, Kohli has also minted his runs at a staggering strike rate of nearly 132.

He won the coveted ‘Orange Cap’ twice in his career, doing so in 2016 and 2024.