Virat Kohli feels playing in the IPL for more than 14 years has made him realise that there is not just one template to succeed in the game. It also helped him add a different dimension to his “understanding of the game”, the former India captain said.

On IPL’s impact on his life, Kohli said on Star Sports’ Inside RCB show: “I think outside of playing for India, IPL gave me the platform to show my capabilities, compete against the best in the world and share knowledge with them.

“I think that was the most important thing that added a different dimension to my understanding of the game.

“I was picking brains of people that probably I wouldn’t have come across otherwise on things like how to play in different conditions and what mind-set they have.

“People have different ways to succeed so it can’t be just one template. So I used to be so excited and grateful for the opportunity to pick their brains and just learn from them day in and day out and that’s for me has been the standout feature of IPL.”

The 33-year-old Kohli is IPL’s leading all-time scorer having so far accumulated nearly 6500 runs. He is the only player who has been with the same franchise from the very beginning of the IPL.

On his loyalty towards RCB, Kohli said: “To be very honest I thought about it... I have been approached many times as well to come into the auction somehow, put my name there and stuff.

“And then I thought about it, I was like at the end of the day everyone has X numbers of years that they live and then you die and life moves on. There would have been many great people who won trophies but no one addresses you like that. No one addresses you in the room like ‘oh he’s an IPL champion or he’s a World Cup champion’.

“It’s like if you are a good person, people like you, if you’re a bad guy, they just stay away from you.”