Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was left really impressed with Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) fans, who gave a heartfellt tribute to star batter Virat Kohli on Saturday, May 17 at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. RCB were set to face-off against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the day as IPL resumed following a one-week ban.
Not even a single ball was played in the match however, as rain completely took over and the game had to eventually get called-off. But, the weather conditions didn't stop RCB fans from honouring Kohli, who is not only a modern-day great in international cricket, but has been featuring for the Bengaluru-based franchise since the inaugural season of IPL.
RCB fans' incredible tribute to Virat Kohli
RCB fans throughout the stadium were seen wearing white Virat Kohli jerseys in honour of the 36-year-old's retirement from Test cricket. This campaign began with a simple social media post, but quckly turned into a movement as fans celebrated the legacy of one of the finest Test players in the modern era.
Manjrekar was left in awe seeing the gesture of RCB fans and stated that the love that the Bengaluru-based franchise's fans have for Kohli is 'something special'.
"The love that the fans have for Virat Kohli, it's something special. This was an IPL night match, and fans came dressed in whites to commemorate a moment in Indian cricket history. That's a beautiful gesture. For five years, he made Test cricket watchable and more popular. We often say no player is bigger than the game, but during a time when Test cricket was struggling to engage fans, Virat gave it the attention it desperately needed," Manjrekkar said on JioHotstar.
"He's still playing in the IPL, but he always had the desire to keep Test cricket alive. As a captain, I've never seen an Indian Test skipper who managed to keep the intensity so high, even when the team wasn't doing well or when things were drifting. That's a legacy in itself," he added.
The wash out saw both RCB and KKR share a point each and while the latter got eliminated due to the result, the former is now on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs and currently sits at the top of the IPL standings with 17 points from 12 matches.
Next, RCB will be locking horns against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on May 23 before wrapping up their league stage with the clash against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket stadium on May 27.