Royal Challengers Bangalore player Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 cricket tournament, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (PTI Photo)Virat Kohli will always be synonymous with the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and on Tuesday, he assured the fans that he is always going to be there and be part of the group that wins the IPL for Bengaluru for the very first time.
“As everyone knows, I will always be here to be part of the group which wins for the first time, I will try my absolute best for the fans and the franchise. It’s a dream of mine as well to know how it feels to win the IPL – hopefully this year,” he said in a video shared by RCB.
The former RCB skipper also lauded the women’s team for their WPL title victory and he also gave a guard of honour to Smriti Mandhana and Co in the RCB Unbox event at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli at RCB Unbox LIVE 🤩
King Kohli speaks about 16 years of loyalty from the RCB fans, and signs off saying, “I’m always going to be here!”
This is Johnnie Walker presents #RCBUnbox powered by @kotak_life and @duroflex_world. #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/yviF0jIZBs
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 19, 2024
“Absolutely amazing. When they won, we were all watching it and at that point you realize the sense of the fanbase in it’s absolute purest form. I say that because it felt like the city won. If you look at the turnout of the fans during all the games that the RCB women’s team played, there was no comparison to be honest,” Kohli said.
Speaking at the event, Kohli also asked fans to not call him King because he felt embarrassed by the tag.
“It’s lovely to be back. Guys, we need to get to Chennai pretty quickly. We have a charter flight so we don’t have much time (smiles). And firsty, you need to stop calling me that word (King) . I feel embarrassed when you call me that and they react like that, Just call me Virat from now on, don’t use that word,” Kohli , who was laughing and smiling throughout the speech, said.
Kohli, who was out of the country for the birth of his second child, arrived in India on Sunday. The former India and RCB captain was seen taking rounds of the Chinnaswamy Stadium as part of his warm-up on Monday. Skipper Faf du Plessis also attended the session.
RCB, who have never won the IPL, begin their campaign against reigning champions Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Friday.
Kohli’s performance in the lucrative T20 league will be closely tracked as the event precedes the T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean.
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