Rajat Patidar’s cryptic statement hints at Virat Kohli’s IPL retirement

On the eve of the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar stunned the cricketing world with a cryptic statement that sparked speculation about Virat Kohli’s future in the world’s biggest franchise league.

Addressing the media in Ahmedabad, Rajat Patidar opened up about the IPL 2025 final against PBKS and RCB’s pursuit of their maiden IPL title. As the conversation shifted to Virat Kohli, who has been the heartbeat of RCB for over a decade, Patidar made a sensational statement that instantly went viral.

Rajat Patidar drops a hint on Virat Kohli’s IPL future ahead of the final

The skipper said that the team will try to win the IPL trophy for Virat Kohli. The use of “for him” has sparked rumors that this could be the iconic cricketer’s last IPL season. Kohli remains the team’s emotional backbone, and his influence remains massive despite not being the captain.

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Rajat Patidar said at the pre-match press conference in Ahmedabad, “We will try and win this (IPL 2025 final) for Virat Kohli. He has done so well for India and RCB over the years.”

However, Patidar didn’t directly say that this would be Kohli’s last IPL match, but his statement has added an emotional edge to the summit clash on June 3. If this is indeed Kohli’s last IPL season, there could be no bigger tribute to him from the franchise than lifting the maiden trophy in Ahmedabad.

Rajat Patidar shares update on Tim David's fitness

Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain shared an update on Tim David’s availability for the IPL 2025 final against PBKS. He mentioned that the medical team is closely monitoring the situation and will make the final decision before the match.

Patidar signed off by saying, “Doctors are there. We will get to know this evening.” Notably, David missed RCB’s last couple of matches due to a hamstring injury.

However, the team will now be hoping that the Australian all-rounder will be fit to take the field in the summit clash after almost a one-week break.

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Virat Kohli suffers three heartbreaks in IPL finals

Notably, Kohli faced three heartbreaks in the IPL. Young Kohli was part of RCB’s maiden IPL final appearance against Deccan Chargers in 2009. Chasing 144, the Bengaluru-based franchise collapsed under pressure, and Kohli scored just 7 off 8 before being dismissed by Andrew Symonds.

RCB lost the IPL 2009 final by just 6 runs in a nail-biting finish. In their second final appearance in 2011 under Daniel Vettori, RCB faced a dominant CSK. Chasing 206, Bengaluru’s batting faltered again, and Kohli’s 35 off 32 were not enough to help his team at all.

In 2016, RCB looked unstoppable under Kohli’s captaincy. In the summit clash at the packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Kohli sled from the front with a blazing 54 after restricting SRH to 208, but after a couple of wickets, they collapsed. Their title dream ended in heartbreak as RCB lost their third final and SRH, led by David Warner, won their maiden trophy.