Star India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter, Virat Kohli, was warmly applauded by fans during the ‘RCB Unbox’ event at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Kohli has been affectionately dubbed ‘King Kohli’ by fans. However, during the event, Kohli expressed his discomfort with the nickname, asking the event host and fans to refrain from using it.
During the ‘RCB Unbox’ event in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli appealed to his fans to stop using the title ‘King’ when addressing him, citing that he feels ‘embarrassed’ with the title. The event, attended by numerous stars, signified the start of a new chapter for RCB as they unveiled their new jersey and officially announced a change in their name.
‘You Need To Stop Calling Me That Word’
Before the major announcements, the event featured a variety of performances. Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and RCB’s skipper in Women’s Premier League (WPL), Smriti Mandhana, were then summoned to the centre stage. Renowned comedian Danish Sait served as the host for the event and invited Kohli to the stage. Addressing Kohli as ‘the king’, Sait’s question ‘How is the king feeling?’ elicited enthusiastic cheers from the Chinnaswamy crowd.
Following Sait’s question, the atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium became electrifying, with the crowd erupting into excitement. Kohli momentarily paused as the uproarious cheers continued, eventually allowing him to resume his address.
“Let me talk. Guys, we need to get to Chennai pretty quickly tonight. We have a chartered flight so we don’t have time. Firstly, you need to stop calling me that word (King). I was telling Faf ‘I feel embarrassed every year when you call me that’, and then they react like that. So, just call me Virat,” said Kohli.
Watch The Video Here:
Never seen a King saying don’t call me king 😭
My man Kohli is so humble @imVkohli
🐐 pic.twitter.com/Ar66agGu7J
— ANSH. (@KohliPeak) March 19, 2024
RCB are set to clash with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening match of IPL 2024 on March 22 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.