NEW DELHI: Indian cricket fans were taken on a rollercoaster ride on Tuesday morning when the Sydney Sixers, a three-time Big Bash League (BBL) champion, announced that Virat Kohli had signed to play for them in the next two seasons. The news, which spread like wildfire, sparked a frenzy of excitement and debate across social media platforms.
However, the excitement was short-lived as the Australian franchise quickly clarified the situation. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Sydney Sixers revealed the truth behind the announcement: “April Fools.” It was nothing more than a clever prank, confirming that Kohli had not, in fact, joined the BBL.
Given Kohli’s ongoing commitment to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL, the idea of him playing in Australia’s T20 league seemed far-fetched from the start. Currently, Kohli is fully focused on the IPL 2025 season, where he continues to etch his name deeper into the record books.
In a recent match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Kohli achieved a significant milestone by becoming the highest run-scorer against CSK in IPL history, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan. Although he scored only 31 runs off 30 balls in this particular game, the achievement reaffirmed his status as one of the greatest batters in the history of the IPL.
The IPL 2025 season kicked off with a match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and RCB, where Kohli was honored with the prestigious “IPL 18” memento by BCCI president Roger Binny. This recognition highlighted his incredible journey in the tournament, where he remains the leading run-scorer with 8,094 runs in 254 matches, including eight centuries and 56 half-centuries. Despite his legendary 2016 season, where he scored 973 runs, an IPL title still eludes him.
The opening ceremony also featured a light-hearted moment when Kohli shared the stage with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, dancing to the hit song “Jhoome Jo Pathaan.” The fun continued as Rinku Singh joined SRK for another lively performance, adding to the festive atmosphere of the IPL’s commencement.
Following India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup, Kohli announced his retirement from international T20 cricket, choosing to focus on ODIs, Tests, and franchise cricket. This decision marks a new chapter in his illustrious career, as he continues to captivate fans and dominate the cricketing world.