In remembrance of Virat Kohli’s Test history, a large crowd of people wearing white “Virat 18” shirts flocked to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the RCB-KKR match. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar expressed gratitude for the fans’ gesture.
There was a noticeable change in the atmosphere and appearance of a stadium, which is often decked in red and gold around this time of year, but ultimately it turned out to be a damp squib because the match never started because of the relentless Bengaluru rain.
“There’s something unique about the fans’ devotion to Virat Kohli. Fans wore white to celebrate a milestone in Indian cricket history during this IPL night match. On JioHotstar, Sanjay Manjrekar remarked, “Nice gesture.”
He increased the popularity and watchability of Test cricket for five years. We frequently argue that no individual is more important than the game, but Virat provided it the much-needed attention it required when Test cricket was having trouble attracting viewers.
Even if he continues to play in the IPL, he has always wanted to preserve Test cricket. In my experience as a leader, no Indian Test captain has ever been able to maintain such a high level of energy even when the team was struggling or things were slipping. That alone is a legacy.
Sanjay Bangar, Manjrekar’s fellow panellist and a former cricket player for India, discussed Kohli’s decision to retire from Test cricket and acknowledged that the sudden news surprised him.
“For me, it was a depressing day. In his time, he was a behemoth. I attempted to persuade him that he still had a few years of good Test cricket remaining in him. However, he had already decided. There was no turning back from his choice once he was certain of the date. We have to honour that. Letting go is not always welcomed in our nation, but Virat made the correct decision. He retired when people were still wondering, “Why now?” which is frequently a sign of a great athlete.
As the IPL resumes after an unusual ten-day suspension due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, the Kolkata Knight Riders have been eliminated from the season without even playing a ball thanks to the postponed match. As for RCB, they are still very much in the running to qualify and earn a spot in the top two.