Winning one IPL title is difficult. Defending it is even harder. Yet RCB have managed exactly that, lifting their second successive trophy in IPL 2026. The celebrations have barely settled, but one question has already started making the rounds among fans: How much longer will Virat Kohli continue playing for RCB?
It is a fair question. Kohli is 37 now and has already stepped away from Test cricket and T20Is. But if anyone inside the RCB camp is worried about his future, it certainly is not CEO Rajesh Menon.
RCB CEO makes huge claim about Virat Kohli’s IPL future
Menon believes Kohli is nowhere close to the end of his IPL journey. In fact, he expects the former captain to continue wearing the RCB jersey for another three to four years. Looking at the way Kohli played this season, it is easy to understand why.
Speaking to CNBC TV18, Menon said: “RCB and Virat are different sides of the same coin. He has been the constant factor for RCB throughout. We have not seen him not being part of RCB even if he moves out of his cricketing career. We have to figure out. That said, next three-four years, I am sure he will be playing. He is fit, the hunger never dies. You saw him this IPL season bring on the energy, runs, attitude. Everything was there. Three-four years, absolutely no problem.”
Those words will not surprise RCB supporters. Kohli has become much more than a player for the franchise. He has stayed with the team through painful defeats, seasons filled with criticism, and years when the trophy always seemed out of reach. Many players have come and gone, but Kohli has remained the one constant.
Now that RCB have finally built a championship-winning team, it almost feels wrong to imagine him anywhere else.
The biggest reason behind Menon’s confidence is simple—Kohli still looks as hungry as ever. Age has not taken away his intensity. If anything, he seems to enjoy the contest even more. Every run, every celebration and every piece of body language still carries the same fire that fans saw when he first burst onto the IPL stage.
His numbers this season backed that up. Kohli finished IPL 2026 as the highest run-scorer for RCB. He mustered 675 runs in 16 matches. He averaged 56.25 and struck at an incredible 165.84, the best strike rate of his IPL career. That statistic alone says plenty. Instead of slowing down, Kohli has found another gear late in his career.
His best knock arrived when RCB needed him the most. Facing Gujarat Titans in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, RCB had to chase 156 for another title. Finals often create pressure, but Kohli made the chase look routine. He stayed unbeaten on 75 from just 42 balls. The experienced campaigner anchored the innings beautifully and guided his side to a five-wicket victory. It was the kind of innings fans have come to expect from him over the years—calm, clinical and perfectly timed.
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The season also gave him another record to celebrate. Kohli became the first batter in IPL history to cross the 9,000-run mark.
RCB supporters have waited years to see their greatest player lift the IPL trophy. Now they have watched him do it twice in a row. With his fitness levels, discipline, and unmatched drive still intact, there is every reason to believe this story is not ending anytime soon.
