Virat Kohli IPL salary and year-wise auction price

One of the best batters of the current generation, Virat Kohli is arguably one of the greatest to have graced the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli is one of the few players to have played for a single franchise throughout his IPL career and continues to remain a mainstay in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad. He has represented RCB right from the inaugural edition in 2008 and has enjoyed a remarkable journey with the franchise.

Kohli is yet to lift his maiden IPL trophy with RCB but his name has been synonymous with the franchise's success over the years. A prodigious young talent at the time, Kohli was picked up by RCB ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008 fresh after leading India to U19 World Cup glory. He has since gone on to establish his credentials as one of the best batters in the world.

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His journey with RCB has been a testament to his remarkable growth and loyalty over the years. The Team India superstar has been one of the most consistent performers for RCB and continues to shatter records with each passing season. Kohli is currently the leading run-getter in the IPL and is indisputably one of the best batters to have played in the tournament.

Kohli was picked up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at a sum of only Rs 12 lakh ahead of the inaugural season in 2008. He turned out to be a steal for the franchise as he transformed into one of the best batters in the world. Kohli managed only 165 runs in 13 matches in his maiden season before notching 246 runs in the following season.

Kohli's breakthrough season came in 2010 when he smashed 307 runs for RCB at a strike rate of over 144, including a solitary fifty. Kohli was retained by RCB for a sum of Rs 8.28 crore ahead of the 2011 season and there was no looking back for the star batter, who rose to fame and soon became one of the highest earners in the IPL.

Kohli remains one of the biggest earners in the IPL to date and his current salary is Rs 21 crore per season. The star India batter was retained by RCB for a sum of Rs 21 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction and is currently the highest earner at the franchise. Kohli was on a salary of Rs 15 crore per season till IPL 2024 and got a pay raise of Rs 6 crore for IPL 2025.

Kohli started at a modest sum of Rs 12 lakh per season at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru when he was picked by the franchise in the 2008 player auction. However, his salary has grown at a remarkable pace over the last few years, making him one of the highest-paid players in the tournament at present. Kohli is currently among the top five earners in the IPL with a salary of Rs 21 crore.

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Kohli justifies his high price tag as he is arguably the biggest crowd-puller at RCB. The Team India superstar has amassed 8004 runs at an average of over 38 and a strike rate of over 131 in 252 matches for the franchise, including 8 centuries and 55 fifties. He also holds the record for most runs scored by a batter in a single season having slammed a whopping 973 runs in 16 matches in IPL 2016 to power RCB into the final.

Kohli also led RCB for nine seasons from IPL 2013 to 2021 but failed to inspire his team to their maiden IPL glory. Under Kohli's captaincy, RCB reached the final in 2016 while qualifying for the playoffs four times in nine seasons.