Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper, Virat Kohli said he very well remembers the Indian Premier League (IPL) draft process in 2008 wherein he was eventually got picked by the RCB. He also added that he was not able to believe the amount he got picked for. Virat Kohli said he was leading the U19 team in the World Cup in Malaysia when the draft process for the inaugural edition of the IPL took place.

As per the IPL draft policy, every franchise had the option of picking a couple of U-19 players and there was a salary cap set for them. RCB went on to pick Virat Kohli for a reported price of USD 30,000 (in 2008). 

Recalling the same during a podcast for RCB, Virat Kohli said, “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.”

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He further added, “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.”

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Virat Kohli said he understood why Delhi did not bid for him and that and in hindsight, he feels RCB is the best franchise for him. Notably, Kohli has never been in an IPL auction, having to ply his trade for RCB since 2088. 

Elaborating it further, Virat Kohli said, “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.”

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“RCB picked me, that I think, in the hindsight, I feel like was such an impactful moment in my life that I didn’t realize at that time. But now when I look back, things would have been very different from what they are now. I do not want to have it any other way than this,” he added.

Kohli, who led RCB for 8 years in the IPL, failed to win a trophy for the team. However, the management has backed the star batter who is the top-scorer in the IPL with 6283 runs in 207 matches. Kohli has time and again said that he would want to finish his career at RCB and never imagined playing for any other IPL franchise.