IPL 2024: KL Rahul Recalls Virat Kohli Saying, “It’s Not An Option, Just Sign This Contract” When He Joined RCB

KL Rahul, currently captaining the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise in the IPL 2024, has twice been part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise. KL Rahul also hails from Bengaluru and has revealed that he wanted to end his IPL career at RCB.

Royal Challengers Bangalore signed Rahul for the 2013 season of the lucrative IPL. In 2013, the Indian batsman made his debut for Virat Kohli’s side against former champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Rahul dreamed of playing for RCB when he was 20 years old. Rahul realized his aim by signing a contract with the Bengaluru heavyweights ahead of the 2013 season. Rahul opened up about a lesser-known interaction with ex-Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Kohli while reflecting on his early days with the franchise.

“Virat was there (ITC Gardenia), coach Ray Jennings and other support staff were also there and Virat only said, ‘Would you want to sign this contract and play for RCB?’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding? It was always my dream.’ And then he said ‘I’m just kidding. It’s not an option, just sign this contract.’ I signed and Virat said ‘It’s gonna be a crazy ride. You’re going to enjoy a lot in the next couple of months,’”Rahul said on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel.

He was included in the RCB team after a stellar outing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali’s trophy that year. However, this stint lasted just one season, as KL Rahul was released and then signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2014 for INR 1 crore.

“The things that I learned (at RCB) in those two months, I mean the amount of time it would have taken me to be the player by playing just Ranji Trophy would have probably taken it 7-8 seasons. Those two months in the IPL, I gained so much knowledge and experience and everything was fast-forwarded,” Rahul added.

I would have liked to finish my career at RCB: KL Rahul

KL Rahul’s second stint with RCB came in IPL 2016 and he smashed 397 runs in 14 matches this season. Rahul missed the IPL 2017 season with an injury and was then bought by Punjab Kings for INR 11 cr in the 2018 auction.

In the same interaction, KL Rahul revealed that he would have liked to end his career at RCB.

“I would have also loved to play for Bangalore. I had started there, I would have liked to finish there and that was there in my head. But the beauty of IPL is that you get to go into different teams with different players,” Rahul concluded.