Virat Kohli's IPL Wealth: Salary Changes from 2008 to 2024

From a young U-19 World Cup-winning captain to becoming the Indian Premier League's (IPL) most prolific run-scorer, Virat Kohli's stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is a combination of loyalty and his growing market value in the most lucrative tournament.

The Bengaluru-based franchise acquired Kohli's services for INR 12 lakh from the U-19 Player Draft in the inaugural season in 2008. The young prodigy, fresh from leading India to a U-19 World Cup victory, started his IPL career with a decent salary that remained unchanged for his first three seasons (2008-2010).

Kohli's financial hike came in 2011 when RCB recognized his potential and retained him for INR 8.28 crore. From there, Kohli was appointed as the full-time captain for the first time in 2013. In the following edition, Kohli saw a substantial increase in his salary to INR 12.5 crore.

The 2016 season was one of the best seasons for the modern-day great, as he scored a record-breaking 973 runs, including four centuries, leading RCB to the finals. This exceptional performance cleared his way for another substantial pay rise in 2018 when he became the league's highest-paid player with an INR 17 crore salary, a figure he maintained until 2021.

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Interestingly, during the pandemic-affected 2022 season, the 35-year-old voluntarily accepted a reduction in his salary to INR 15 crore. The 2022 season saw the veteran step down from the captaincy role and hand it over to Faf du Plessis, solely to focus on batting. In that same year, he continued to dominate, scoring 741 runs in the following season. For the past three seasons, the Delhi-born has been playing for the same salary. 

With the 2025 retention deadline coming close, the former skipper is expected to be the top retention priority of the franchise for the INR 18 Crore slot. Furthermore, he is one of the highest-paid athletes globally, and the most-followed Indian celebrity on Instagram.

Virat Kohli's IPL Salary over the years