Bengaluru's love for Virat Kohli got another iconic moment on Saturday as fans filled the M Chinnaswamy Stadium wearing India's Test jersey with 18 on the back, the number that the former India captain donned during his red ball career. (Match Blog | Points Table)
Kohli retired from Test cricket earlier this week, triggering a wave of tribute not just from cricketing fraternity but from all over the sporting world. On Saturday, a number of fans braved a rainy weather and filled the stands at the Chinnaswamy in whites in a tribute to their iconic player who was among the greatest Test batters of his generation.
Bengaluru's love for Kohli knows no bounds. While the locals have some apprehensions of the language that is spoken in Delhi, Kohli, the boy from the Indian capital, is as local as anyone has ever been in Bengaluru. And the star batter gives it all back with his performances year after year for the franchise.
Kohli has been with RCB right from the start of the Indian Premier League and remains the only player to have played for only one franchise since the inception of the competition. He is also the league's leading run-scorer and has several other batting records to his name.
However, when the players were getting picked, Kohli was not even supposed to land up at Bengaluru. During the draft, Delhi Daredevils had the first pick when it came to selecting uncapped players. Kohli had just led the U-19 Indian team to the trophy and was the hottest young property in the domestic scene and everyone expected the Daredevils to sign him.
He was also a local boy and that would just add further value to Delhi picking him.
However, the Delhi franchise decided to opt for left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan and in the very next chance, Bengaluru signed Kohli before anyone could even blink.
The rest, as they say, is history.
He has given his fans everything they have wanted. Except one thing. The IPL trophy.
After losing finals in 2009 and 2011, where Kohli was a young player and then again in 2016 when he was the captain, RCB this year seem to be playing as well as they ever had. This might be Kohli's chance to give Bengaluru the trophy they have waited for 18 years and he would want to make full use of it.
