Former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli recalled first IPL auction back in 2008 saying that the money players received in the auction was absolutely crazy. Kohli was picked by RCB in the first auction for a base price of Rs 20 lakhs decided by the BCCI for all uncapped players.
India won the Under 19 World Cup in 2008 under the ladership of Virat Kohli. Kohli’s rise to fame began from that edition of junior World Cup. Kohlli then was selected by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the auction for the inaugural season. Virat Kohli was bought by the RCB franchise for a base price of Rs 20 lakhs which was set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for all uncapped players. While talking about his memories from the first IPL auction, Virat Kohli said he was leading the under-19 India team and could not believe the amount that RCB had paid to buy him at the time.
“We were all in Malaysia for the U-19 World Cup. I remember the day when the drafts were happening. The U-19 dynamic was a little different because we very rightly so had a money cap if I could say. That was the only time where I saw a restriction on how much you can be picked for if you haven’t played for India,” Kohli said during a podcast with RCB.
“So that for us, I remember even that moment for us was so amazing. Because the amount that we got picked for when they announced it, we couldn’t believe it because it was absolutely crazy.”
Kohli has scored 6283 runs in 207 IPL matches with an average of 37.39. Kohli said he was aware that even the Delhi franchise was looking to get him on board. However, they did not bid for him at the auction as they went ahead with left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan.
“There was one conversation where I heard from people that the Delhi team was interested to go after me but the dynamic of their team was such that they went for Pradeep Sangwan, who was a left-arm seamer. An amazing bowler, at that time he was our best bowler in the U-19 team. So Delhi decided to go for him because they wanted the bowling strength,” he explained.
“RCB picked me, that I think, in the hindsight, I feel like was such an impactful moment in my life that I didn’t realise at that time. But now when I look back, things would have been very different to what they are now. I do not want to have it any other way than this.”
Kohli has been playing for one franchise since the beginning of the tournament and has indicated time and again that he has no intention to leave the franchise. Kohli once again said that he will always play for RCB.
“Yes definitely, I don’t see myself playing anywhere else. Loyalty matters more to me than worldly pleasures. I would be in the RCB till the last day I play in the IPL,” he concluded.
