KL Rahul Recounts Memorable Moment When Virat Kohli Invited Him to Join RCB

On his 32nd birthday, KL Rahul, the Indian cricketer currently leading the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024, shared an intriguing anecdote about the time he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2013.

Debuting for RCB at just 20 years old in a match against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Rahul reminisced about the unforgettable moment when Virat Kohli, the then RCB captain, approached him with an offer to join the team.

In a conversation with Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul revealed, “Virat was there (ITC Gardenia), coach Ray Jennings and other support staff were also there and Virat only said, ‘Would you want to sign this contract and play for RCB?’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding? It was always my dream.’ And then he said ‘I’m just kidding. It’s not an option, just sign this contract.’ I signed and Virat said ‘It’s gonna be a crazy ride. You’re going to enjoy a lot in the next couple of months.’”

Reflecting on his time with RCB, Rahul emphasized its significance in his career. “The things that I learned (at RCB) in those two months, I mean the amount of time it would have taken me to be the player by playing just Ranji Trophy would have probably taken it 7-8 seasons. Those two months in the IPL, I gained so much knowledge and experience and everything was fast-forwarded.”

Although Rahul was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad after his initial stint with RCB in 2013, he returned to RCB in 2016. Expressing his affection for the team, Rahul mentioned, “I would have also loved to play for Bangalore. I had started there, I would have liked to finish there and that was there in my head. But the beauty of IPL is that you get to go into different teams with different players.”

Currently, Lucknow Super Giants are positioned at 5th place in the IPL 2024 standings with 3 wins and 3 losses in 6 matches.