Virat Kohli returned to his ‘second home’ M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka. The fans in the stadium gave Kohli a rousing reception to the former captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 33-year-old has been associated with RCB since the inception of the tournament and led them to the final in IPL 2016, however, he stepped down from captaincy after last season, but the fans still have a special place in heart for the batting maestro.
Kohli received love from his fans when he came out to bat on Day 1 and they kept chanting his name when he was on the crease. While the Bengaluru crowd remembered another RCB stalwart when Kohli was on field during Sri Lanka’s innings. The fans started chanting AB de Villiers name who retired from IPL ahead of the ongoing season. Kohli, who was fielding at slips, responded to fans by imitating De Villier’s iconic switch shot.
Kohli and De Villiers shared great camaraderie both on and off the field. The duo has been often seen praising each other on several public platforms.
Meanwhile, former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has been named the next RCB captain, who will lead the side in the upcoming edition of the IPL, starting from March 26 in Mumbai. Du Plessis replaced Kohli who stepped down from the post last year, citing workload management. His announcement came just days after he had said that he would be stepping down as India’s T20I captain ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“Few updates for you guys. Our season is going to start pretty soon something which I am excited for. As I said, renewed energy, really looking forward to this season. But the more important news, Faf is going to be our new captain. And I couldn’t be more happier to pass on the baton to a good friend, whom I’ve known very well over the years. We have been in touch for many years now and he is one of the few guys whom I’ve got to know outside of cricket.” Kohli said on Du Plessis’ appointment through a video message.
Under Du Plessis’ leadership, RCB will begin their campaign at IPL 2022 against Punjab Kings on March 27 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
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