RCB IPL 2025: Virat Kohli retained for Rs 21 crore; Check full list of players retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Ahead of the mega auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru announced on Thursday that they have retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

A recent ToI report has said that King Kohli might return as the skipper after Faf du Plessis' age (40) to steer the team forward. The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises are at a point where they're set to announce their retentions and enter the mega auction next month with plan to build for years to come.

In IPL 2024, Kohli played 15 matches, scoring 741 runs at a strike rate of 154.70. He showcased an outstanding performance in the 17th season, hitting one century and five half-centuries. Kohli remains the highest run-scorer in IPL history, having played in every season, amassing 8004 runs in 252 matches at a strike rate of 131.97.


Rajat Patidar also had an impressive season in the last IPL, scoring 395 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 177.13, including five half-centuries. Since his debut in 2021, Patidar has played 27 matches, accumulating 799 runs at a strike rate of 158.85.

Uncapped player Yash Dayal led RCB's bowling attack in IPL 2024, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 9.15.

While RCB have managed to qualify for the playoffs in two out of the three seasons, they have struggled to maintain consistency and have failed to secure their maiden IPL title.

RCB's potential retentions for IPL 2025:

Indian cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli is irreplaceable for RCB, and his retention happened at sum of Rs 21 crore. The inclusion of Yash Dayal, a promising pacer, also retained will bolster RCB’s bowling department for the upcoming season.

Third retention for the team is Rajat Patidar.

The franchise is banking on Kohli's experience, leadership qualities, and determination to finally break their title drought in the upcoming IPL campaign.

RCB's performance in recent years:

Under Faf du Plessis's captaincy, RCB finished fourth in the 2022 IPL season after qualifying for the Eliminator. They won the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants but were subsequently eliminated by Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2.

In the 2023 season, RCB finished sixth with 14 points from 14 games, failing to make the playoffs.

The 2024 season saw RCB once again finish fourth, securing a spot in the Eliminator. However, their campaign came to an end as they were knocked out by Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.

While du Plessis brought tactical acumen and a fresh perspective to the side, complemented by his strong individual performances, RCB continued to grapple with familiar challenges.

Over-reliance on key players and occasional inconsistency across matches remained persistent issues.