Is Virat Kohli really retiring from the IPL after cryptic RCB posts?

With the start of the fierce finals between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT), IPL fever is at its height. The focus has switched to star player Virat Kohli, while supporters are anxiously awaiting the trophy to be lifted by either Shubman Gill or Rajat Patidar. Fans are astonished and concerned because of recent social media remarks from RCB and Rajat Patidar, which have led them to wonder if “The King” intends to retire from the IPL in 2026.

Shortly after RCB won the qualifier and advanced to the finals, speculations emerged that Virat Kohli was retiring from the tournament. Everyone was perplexed when RCB posted a charming picture of Kohli with the caption “One Last Mile” on social media following their victory. They later uploaded another image featuring a collection of his pictures with the caption “18”.

Although everything appeared normal at first, some fans quickly began to read between the lines and believed that RCB was honoring Virat Kohli, fueling the retirement rumors.

However, when RCB captain Rajat Patidar posted a picture of himself and Virat Kohli on Instagram without a caption, the rumors intensified. Many fans believed Patidar was also implying that the King would retire after IPL 2026. It is noteworthy that Virat Kohli has not yet made any announcements regarding his retirement. If reports are to be believed, there are minimal chances of him retiring after IPL 2026.

After RCB and Rajat Patidar’s posts gained widespread attention on the internet, a number of devastated supporters shared their fears on X (formerly Twitter). One user wrote, “Nahhh my entire timeline is filled with Kohli retirement tweets & RCB jinx tweets that’s why.” Another simply commented, “Anxiety.” A third fan stated, fearing a repeat of past cricket retirement announcements, “What if, after winning the trophy today, Virat Kohli says the same retirement script…If that’s the case, then we don’t need the trophy.”

Expressing their struggle to process the news, another user added, “Bro something’s fishy yaar, rajat randomly posted Kohli pic then Gayle and now RCB official account, please kohli saab dont take any heart breaking decisions we are yet to recover from last year retirement news.”

Amid the retirement speculations, an old statement by Virat Kohli has gone viral on social media. In the open discussion, Kohli revealed that he will always roar like a lion when playing cricket, but he will never be an Impact Player.