“Virat Kohli has taken a pay cut for the larger interest of the team. We all know how good a player he is and how good a leader he is. So he has definitely done this so that RCB can have just that little extra in the auctions.”
– This is what former India wicket-keeper and prominent Mumbai Indians player Parthiv Patel had to say about the famous iconic batsman Virat Kohli. In an age where Cricketers can so often become morbid reminders that one is hardly concerned about the other and that all that matters in the interest of a cricketer- with regards to the sport- is self-interest, Parthiv Patel’s story is different and has its own context.
It’s true and as one can note, it comes straight from the left handed keeping batter’s heart in relation to Kohli.
But if there’s no context to praise- much like criticism- it tends to run the risk of being called blind praise. Similarly, if there’s no particular reason for levelling praise toward another cricketer, however great or limited his talent, it becomes a reason to overlook the statement. Though that’s not the case here as one notes.
There’s a reason as to why Parthiv Patel, formerly with Mumbai Indians and thereafter, with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, is saying such fine things about Virat Kohli. And all that he’s said is no fanboy speak!
For the purpose that the famous IPL outfit, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, popularly known as the RCB, can invest funds into developing other talents and other cricketing avenues within the team’s contingent or camp, one man has stepped forward to raise his hands out of sheer support.
And that man is none other than the former all format captain of India- Virat Kohli. The very same determined and ferocious batsman who is still looking to strike his first international century in two years.
In an age that is fast becoming about ‘me and me and my endeavours and plans alone’- Virat Kohli’s gesture for the overall interest of the entirety of the unit is brave. It’s kind.
Moreover, it’s heartwarming and tells us of what one can do even this age of insularity if one wishes to serve the game. Though when talks concern serving the team and the team that is the famous RCB then let it be known that Virat Kohli has since always, been doing that and politely so.
In 2016, when the IPL series hadn’t yet featured prominent names of the kinds we may not imagine it without today, such as as Rishabh Pant, Evin Lewis, Harshal Patel, Ishan Kishan, Varun Chakravarthy, one man was busy thudding- not accumulating- runs. His name- Virat Kohli. His contribution- 1000 plus IPL runs in a single reason. To this date, it remains his or for that matter, anyone from the RCB camp’s highest possible accumulation in a single edition of the IPL.
But having said all the above, where do some key players stand where this year’s interesting retentions stand, then the following information may come in handy:
Virat Kohli, who has been with the team since inception, is retained for INR 15 crores. Glenn Maxwell, who was signed by the team last season, remains with the Bold Brigade with a tag of INR 11 crores. Mohammed Siraj, who has been with team since 2018, will carry on with RCB for a sum of INR 7 crores.