Virat Kohli was on the centre of IPL opening ceremony. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart Virat Kohli was felicitated with ‘IPL 18’ momento by the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny throughout the opening ceremony of the 18th version of the Indian Premier League on Saturday. Virat has been with RCB because the inception of the cash-rich league and captained the franchise from 2011 to 2023. He’s the best run-scorer within the event’s historical past, with a whopping 8,004 runs in 252 matches, eight centuries and 55 half-centuries.
His dazzling run within the 2016 season, throughout which he garnered 973 runs with 4 centuries, beautiful statistics haven’t been sufficient for the IPL’s most achieved batter to raise the trophy, highlighting the cruelty of group sport. Notably, the inaugural match of the IPL 2025 marks the four-hundredth look within the T20 format.
Earlier than the felicitation, Virat flexed his dance strikes and grooved with Shah Rukh Khan on ‘King Khan’s chart-buster music ‘Jhoome Jo Pathaan’.
Shah Rukh Khan, together with his energetic voice, had invited the stalwart on the stage and stated, “The King of twenty-two yards and a billion hearts. Let’s hear the loudest for one and solely, the goat, Virat Kohli.” He began chanting ‘Kohli, Kohli’ and the star cricketer regarded virtually embarrassed.
SRK introducing kohli:-
The king of twenty-two Yards and of billion hearts, let’s hear it the loudest for the GOAT Virat Kohli.#ipl2025 #KKRvRCB pic.twitter.com/kGODKVhkbM
— Utkarsh (@toxify_vk18) March 22, 2025
Kolkata Knight Riders’ explosive batter Rinku Singh danced with Shah Rukh on the well-known hit ‘Lutt Putt Gaya’. After Virat acquired the award, RCB and KKR skippers had been invited to the stage.
“It has been a tremendous feeling to steer RCB; I like this floor and particularly the followers. That is my dream. The boys are energetic and feeling assured this yr,” RCB’s new captain Rajat Patidar stated.
“It’s good to be again at Eden Gardens, it’s good to work in your endurance, and daily I’m engaged on it,” KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane stated.
RCB skipper Patidar went on to win the toss and put the defending champions, KKR, to bat.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Taking part in XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impression Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinandan Singh, Manoj Bhandage, Romario Shepherd, Swapnil Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders (Taking part in XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Kolkata Knight Riders Impression Subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia.
With ANI inputs
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