"Season for the ages": Raina on Kohli's long-awaited IPL glory with RCB in 2025

New Delhi [India], November 14 (ANI): Ahead of the retentions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Saturday, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina recalled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 triumph, calling it a "season for the ages".

The 2025 IPL was memorable as the man in number 18, Virat Kohli, ended his 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), beating Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final by six runs at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

Speaking on JioStar's IPL 2026 'Retention Preview', JioStar expert Suresh Raina discussed RCB's retention strategy.

"The 2025 IPL season was one of the ages as the man in number 18, Virat Kohli, ended his 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), beating Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final by six runs at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium," Raina said.

JioStar expert Irfan Pathan spoke about RCB's potential releases.

"RCB bought Liam Livingstone for a hefty price, but he scored only 112 runs and played at a strike rate of 133. His strike rate should have been higher. His performance of 112 runs in 10 matches doesn't justify such a big price. Bowler Rasikh Salam does have a place in this team, but his price is 6 crores. So, can RCB put Rasikh Salam back in the auction and try to take him again for a lower price? Because such a player is needed in the middle overs," Irfan Pathan said.

The auction for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to be held in Abu Dhabi, with its governing council still working on finalising the deal and venue, as per league's sources.

As of now, the date for the auction is December 15-16. A final confirmation on the venue and date will be made within the next few days, added the sources. (ANI)

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