“A beautiful gesture”: Sanjay Manjrekar on fans paid tribute to Virat Kohli during RCB-KR match

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar appreciated a heartbreaking tribute by fans during the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, where fans came together to honor Virat Kohli after their retirement from Test cricket. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru turned into a breathtaking sea on Saturday evening, as fans donated white jersey with a prestigious number 18 to pay homage to Kohli’s mythological test career. The heartiest gesture began as a humble fan campaign – a simple social media post urged Royal Challengers Bangalore supporters to wear white Virat Kohli jersey for RCB vs. KKR Clash in honor of their recent retirement from Test cricket.

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗮𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗮𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲: 𝗔 𝗔 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿

Virat Kohli’s prestigious Test career in a heartbreaking tribute, fans not only shown in numbers, but also in emotions, wrapped in whites – with mantras and … pic.twitter.com/ZF9SQHFSHO

– Royal Challengers Bangalore (@Rcbtweets) May 18, 2025

The beginning that began as a small idea quickly turned into a powerful movement, as fans united to celebrate a player’s legacy, which gave all of them to the red ball game.

“The love that fans have for Virat Kohli is something special. It was an IPL night match, and fans wore clothes in the whites to remind of a moment in the history of Indian cricket. It is a beautiful gesture. For five years, he said that it is a player who is not more than the game.

“He is still playing in the IPL, but he always wanted to keep Test cricket alive. As a captain, I have never seen an Indian Test skipper, which managed to keep the intensity so high, even when the team was not doing well or when things were flowing. It is a legacy in itself,” he said.

Saturday’s match, which resumed IPL 2025 after a week’s break, was Virat Kohli’s first appearance after announcing his retirement from Test cricket through a social media post.

However, the match was released, without bowling without balls, due to continuous rain. Both teams were awarded one -point, and this RCB is close to the berth with 17 points out of 12 games with 17 points and a confirmation in the playoffs, while KKR has been excluded from the playoff controversy with 12 points out of 13 games.

(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)