Former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Virat Kohli is a crowd favourite at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This was clear when fans rallied behind him after Jasprit Bumrah took a wicket on the second ball of Day 5 (Sunday, October 20) of the first Test against New Zealand.
Kohli urged the crowd to support Team India as they aimed to defend a target of just 107 runs against the Kiwis. The fans cheered for every delivery to boost the bowling team’s morale. JioCinema shared the clip, stating:
“Kohli calls, Chinnaswamy responds!”
you can watch the video here:
https://x.com/jiocinema/status/1847879884133286071?s=46
Much like MS Dhoni in Chennai, Kohli is seen as an adopted son in Bengaluru. The Delhi-born player has been with the franchise since its inception in 2008. Last year, he remarked (via WION):
“I feel really fortunate to have played for one franchise from day one. It’s been a constant relationship based on trust from both ends that we are working for the same thing and the value that I have seen fans connecting with me very organically is because of the fact that we play the game for the right reasons.”
“I am really honoured and fortunate to be here for so long, in a place where I absolutely love coming to every year and start the IPL journey all over again. So, it’s always very exciting,” he added.
Virat Kohli is not just a crowd favorite at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium; he attracts fans everywhere. The 35-year-old has an undeniable presence that makes an immediate impact. With 270 million followers on Instagram, he is one of the most followed athletes globally.
Virat Kohli reaches 9,000 runs in Test cricket
Virat Kohli became the fourth Indian to surpass 9,000 runs in Test cricket with his 70-run innings against New Zealand in the second innings of the first Test. He joins Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Rahul Dravid (13,265), and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) among the leading run-scorers in this format.
In terms of overall runs in international cricket, Kohli ranks fourth with 27,041 runs, trailing only Tendulkar (34,357), Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), and Australia’s Ricky Ponting (27,483).
Kohli will next play in the second Test against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, starting October 24.
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