Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) superstar Virat Kohli has recalled his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey ahead of the RCB vs CSK clash on Saturday, May 03. Kohli, who entered the IPL auction in 2008 on the back of leading India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup, spoke about his journey and what his emotions were when he was bagged by RCB for 20 lakhs. It's been 18 years, and Kohli has never entered the auction after the inaugural edition, as ahead of every IPL mega auction, RCB made sure to retain him.
"Loyalty is royalty," and in Kohli's case, the proverb rings true. Although he is yet to lift silverware for the franchise, RCB has one of the best fans in the league's history, and the legendary batter is proud to represent RCB. Ahead of the RCB vs CSK, clash, the 36-year-old opened up about his journey in the RCB podcast.
“When the auction happened, we were in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, and we were sold as first-class cricketers, who were limited to Rs 20 lakhs. We went crazy in the corridor — ‘We got Rs 20 lakhs!’ That was the emotion behind it. Because we didn’t know what to expect—the opening ceremony, the whole experience of meeting great cricketers — it was surreal.”
“The first year was exciting in terms of unexpected things happening. We hadn’t played a lot of T20 cricket. Secondly, franchise cricket allowed us to play with different players from all over the world, players we looked up to.”
Virat Kohli sheds light on RCB vs CSK rivalry
For the unversed, Virat Kohli also spoke in length about the RCB vs CSK rivalry. Although the Yellow Team has an edge over RCB, for fans it is one of the most awaited matches to look forward to during the IPL. Kohli loves this content, especially when it happens at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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“I would say one team that, historically, I’ve felt we’ve had the most intense games with is Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. Because in Chennai, of course, there are Chennai fans — it’s just yellow and CSK fans everywhere. But to play against CSK in Bengaluru is something else because a lot of Chennai fans come to Bengaluru. CSK fans travel in huge numbers, so they buy tickets very early and take over a section of the stadium.
“So, there’s an intense atmosphere inside the stadium in Bengaluru when playing against CSK. And then, obviously, the game also gets very intense and competitive. That environment is the most exciting I’ve been a part of.”
The last time RCB played CSK at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it was absolute cinema, as RCB dumped CSK out of the playoffs race and made it to the top four on account of winning six games on the bounce.
