5 major statements made by Virat Kohli in recent RCB podcast amid IPL 2025
Star Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli recently appeared on an episode of the RCB podcast during the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Kohli has been in great form this season, and is the side's leading run-scorer so far.
He has amassed 505 runs from 11 innings at an average of 63.12 and a strike-rate of 143.46. He has also struck seven half-centuries this season, showing his consistency with the bat. Moreover, all of his seven fifties have come in a winning cause.
Virat Kohli's form has been a key factor for RCB, who have won eight out of their 11 games this season and, with 16 points, have had a brilliant campaign. They are on the verge of sealing their playoffs spot with a possible chance to finish in the top two.
Kohli made several revelations and big statements on the RCB podcast. Let us take a look at five major statements that he made.
5 major statements made by Virat Kohli in recent RCB podcast
#5 "My heart was beating so fast through the whole innings"
Virat Kohli spoke about his first experience of facing Pakistan for the Indian senior men's team. It was during the 2009 Champions Trophy, with Kohli not initially a part of the team and only on standby. However, he got the opportunity to play after an injury to Yuvraj Singh.
"I think I scored about 16 runs and then I tried to hit Shahid Afridi for a six straight down the ground at Centurion and I got caught at long off. We lost that game, it was an important moment in the game and my heart was beating so fast through the whole innings. I just couldn't process everything that happened in a span of four days. I remember us losing the game, it was a big loss and I was awake till five in the morning, staring at the ceiling like this is it," he said.
Kohli has played 28 games against Pakistan across formats and has scored 1270 runs with four centuries and seven fifties.
#4 "I had the opportunity to explore and look elsewhere"
Virat Kohli has been with RCB since the inception of the IPL in 2008. He is thus now in his 18th season with the franchise. While he has always spoken about his loyalty to the team, he revealed that he did have the opportunity to explore playing for other teams.
"I've said this before — I had the opportunity to explore and look elsewhere, especially during the peak years of my career. From 2016 to 2019, there were constant suggestions for me to switch. "So I had to make a decision: do I want to go into a new setup and figure things out again? That’s when I realised that the relationship I’ve built here is more valuable — and so is the mutual respect that’s developed over so many years. Now, I’m just going to see it through. Whether we win or not, it’s fine. This is my home," he stated.
Kohli has played 263 IPL games for RCB so far and has amassed 8509 runs with eight centuries and 62 half-centuries.
#3 "I was exposed to it 24x7"
After veteran MS Dhoni relinquished his duties as India captain, Virat Kohli took over across formats. However, the latter's resignation from captaincy from all formats has always been a topic of controversy.
Opening up on his decision to quit captaincy, Kohli admitted that it got very tough on him at one point and that his decision came as he wanted to be in a happy space.
"I was exposed to it 24x7. It did get very tough on me, and it did get too much in the end. That's why I stepped down because I felt like if I've decided I want to be in this place, I need to be happy," he said.
The former India skipper added that he wanted to be in a space where he could play his cricket without being judged every time.
#2 "It was like the feeling you get when you have a horrible hangover"
Virat Kohli also opened up on the feeling after India lost the 2019 World Cup semi-final to New Zealand. India had come close to winning the World Cup with Virat Kohli at the helm, but crashed out after their semi-final loss.
"After the semi-final got over, and the next morning we were going to leave Manchester. You know, when you wake up and you have no kind of understanding of what you want to do, like you are dazed. It was like the feeling you get when you have a horrible hangover. I had no idea whether I wanted to drink coffee, brush my teeth, like what is the next step? I was completely gone," he revealed.
India had lost the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup as well.
#1 "I knew I was going to retire after that"
While Virat Kohli continues to play Tests and ODIs for India, he announced his retirement from T20Is right after India won the 2024 T20I World Cup. He revealed that whether India had won the trophy or not, he had decided to call it a day in the format. He said:
"I was more grateful than proud. I knew I was going to retire after that. Irrespective of the result, my decision was made. I was very clear that this is my last T20 tournament."
Interestingly, Virat Kohli played a match-winning 79-run knock in the final against South Africa, which helped India get to a fighting total after an early collapse.