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“We Got ₹20 Lakhs” Virat Kohli Recalls IPL Beginnings With RCB, Hypes Up CSK Rivalry

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli on a RCB podcast [Source: @RCBTweets, @IPL/x]Virat Kohli on a RCB podcast [Source: @RCBTweets, @IPL/x]

Virat Kohli continues to remain the only one-franchise player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inaugural edition. Back in 2008, the cricketer was acquired by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise at his base price, shortly after lifting the Under-19 ICC World Cup for the Indian team in Malaysia.

Currently plying his trade in the IPL 2025 season, the cricketer recalled his IPL beginnings as he braces himself for RCB’s next match against age-old nemesis Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Virat Kohli recalls first IPL pay cheque

While speaking on a RCB podcast, Virat Kohli said that he along with the rest of his Under-19 World Cup winning teammates from 2008 “went crazy in the corridor” upon learning that they had been sold to different IPL franchises for Rs. 20 lakhs. 

The legendary Indian cricketer also stated all young IPL recruits at the time were also extremely excited in meeting great international players upon joining their respective franchises in the inaugural 2008 edition.

Virat Kohli said:

“When the auction happened, we were in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, and we were sold as first-class cricketers, who were limited to Rs 20 lakhs. We went crazy in the corridor — ‘We got Rs 20 lakhs!’ That was the emotion behind it. Because we didn’t know what to expect—the opening ceremony, the whole experience of meeting great cricketers — it was surreal.”

A vital part of the RCB franchise since then, Virat Kohli also signified his team’s intense rivalry with five-time winners, CSK. He said:

“I would say one team that, historically, I’ve felt we’ve had the most intense games with is Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. Because in Chennai, of course, there are Chennai fans — it’s just yellow and CSK fans everywhere. But to play against CSK in Bengaluru is something else, because a lot of Chennai fans come to Bengaluru. CSK fans travel in huge numbers, so they buy tickets very early and take over a section of the stadium.”

Incidentally, the RCB franchise is set to go up against a struggling CSK unit in match number 52 of the IPL 2025 season on Saturday, May 3. The match will be hosted by the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Virat Kohli-starrer RCB team is currently ranked third on the IPL 2025 points table with seven wins and just three defeats from 10 matches. Kohli himself has aggregated 443 runs in 10 innings of the tournament at a splendid average of 63.28.