IPL 2025 is set to get underway on May 17, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru, and RCB stalwart Virat Kohli is gearing up for it. Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket recently, will now be focusing on helping deliver RCB their first IPL title. On Thursday, Kohli was spotted at a private airport in Mumbai, boarding a flight to Bengaluru, alongside wife Anushka Sharma. The visuals of Kohli and Anushka quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Following his Test retirement announcement, Kohli had visited the holy town of Vrindavan, and is now making his way to Bengaluru for the restart of IPL 2025.
Watch: Virat Kohli leaves for Bengaluru ahead of IPL 2025 restart
Virat Kohli And @AnushkaSharma Spotted At Private Airport Today.
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Off To Bengaluru.
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.#Virushka #RCB #IPL2025 @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/fDCOctZUqV
— virat_kohli_18_club (@KohliSensation) May 15, 2025
RCB and Kohli sit second in the IPL 2025 table, on the same number of points as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), and are on the verge of sealing their qualification to the playoffs. Kohli has had a standout campaign, having amassed 505 runs in 11 matches with seven half-centuries.
Kohli has never won an IPL trophy in his career, losing the final on three occasions. RCB will have their work cut out in the absence of regular captain Rajat Patidar, as well as the possible unavailability of some of their star overseas performers. Kohli is unlikely to lead RCB despite Patidar’s absence, with Jitesh Sharma likely to fill in.
Kohli had announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this week, calling time on a glittering career where he amassed 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, and also captained India to 40 wins in 68 matches.
“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life. There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever,” Kohli had written on social media.
“As I step away from this format, it’s not easy – but it feels right. I’ve given it everything I had, and it’s given me back so much more than I could’ve hoped for. I’m walking away with a heart full of gratitude – for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way.”
“I’ll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off,” he had concluded.
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