What happens to RCB when Virat Kohli retires? Fans reveal if they'd still support the franchise without their star player

Virat Kohli has been synonymous with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), dedicating all 18 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the franchise. Since the IPL's inception in 2007 to the latest season, RCB, one of the most celebrated franchises despite not winning a single trophy, has undergone numerous changes. From Rahul Dravid to Daniel Vettori and Faf du Plessis to Rajat Patidar, the team has seen eight different captains. The only constant throughout? Virat Kohli.

But have you ever wondered what will become of RCB when Kohli retires? The 36-year-old recently announced his retirement from T20 internationals after India's World Cup win last year. While he hasn't hinted at retiring from the IPL yet, fans believe he may have just 3-4 more seasons left with the franchise.

Reddit discusses RCB's future after Virat Kohli

RCB looks different this year, with fans claiming that the 18th season is destined to be theirs, especially since Virat Kohli's jersey number is 18. So far, the team have lived up to those expectations, securing impressive wins in both matches they've played this season.

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Ahead of their highly anticipated third match vs Gujarat Titans today (April 2), an RCB fan took to Reddit to ask the haunting question: What happens when Virat Kohli retires?

The fan wrote, "No doubt, Virat Kohli is the face of RCB and has played a huge role in making the franchise famous worldwide. He has drawn millions of fans, many of whom may not have any direct connection to Namma Bengaluru or Karnataka but support RCB solely because of him.

As someone born in the city and a die-hard fan of Virat, I know that even in a hypothetical scenario where he played for another team, I¡¯d still support RCB no matter what. But I¡¯ve always been curious about fans who started supporting RCB purely because of Virat¡ªwhen he eventually retires, would you continue supporting RCB? Or would you shift your loyalty elsewhere?

After supporting the team for so many years, do you think you¡¯ve developed an emotional attachment beyond just Virat? Would love to hear your thoughts!"

'RCB a part of identity now," fans say

RCBians, a term coined for the franchise's loyal fans, flooded the comments section of the post, and most shared a similar sentiment: no matter what happens, they'll forever remain dedicated to RCB.

One user wrote, "I was thinking the same in 2018 when ABD retired: will I still support RCB? But yeah, after 12-15 years of emotional attachment, it isn't easy to support another team. Imo fans ¡Ý5 years will still support RCB."

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Another user confessed while they started supporting RCB because of Kohli, they're now dedicated to the franchise. "I love Kohli; the only reason I got to support RCB in 2014... but now maybe after 4-5 years when he retires (hoping he doesn't retire before that), I would still have to support RCB.

Because it's the club I have loved ever since I was a kid, I may have started supporting RCB for Virat, but in the process I saw Abd, Gayle, Yuzi, Sri Arvind, Purple Patel, Siraj, Faf, Maxi, etc., and now I have realised that I have genuinely fallen in love with this club. I hope it would be the same for others as well."

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A third shared, "I have been supporting RCB since 2008, initially because of Rahul Dravid, because he's my only favourite Indian cricketer ever. Even when he left RCB, I couldn't not support RCB because by then I was attached to it. Then Kohli became the star of the team, but it doesn't matter to me who plays or who doesn't. At this point, I am taking my support to the grave."

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"I have no other option. I was born here, and I cannot imagine myself supporting any other club other than RCB with or without Kohli," a fourth wrote.

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Another echoed a similar sentiment, writing, "Virat may have been the reason I became an RCB fan, but now it's a part of my identity."

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One fan penned, "Yes, I am a Virat fan, and that is why I started supporting this franchise. But over the years watching Gayle, Kohli, and ABD, then Kohli, Faf, and Maxi play, I just fell more and more in love with this franchise. Even in WPL, where Virat has nothing to do, I automatically started supporting the RCBW team. So even if Virat retires after 4-5 years, I can't imagine supporting any other franchise because this is the team I have loved and supported since the time I started watching cricket, although we aren't having trophies. This team gave me some very good memories. So yeah, Virat got me into supporting this team, and I think I cannot get over this franchise even after he retires."

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You can check more comments in the Reddit thread below:

A Question for RCB Fans Who Support the Team Because of Virat ¨C What Happens After He Retires?
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