The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign was not planned to resume as the rain played SpoilSport at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, washed the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match on Saturday. Local fans were ready at the venue, which was expected to pay a tribute to Virat Kohli, but did not get due to sudden retirement from Test cricket. As a tribute to the prestigious India and RCB batsmen, a white pigeon herd was also flown at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Digging the red and black colors of RCB, a lot of fans at the site were wearing clothes in the whites, wearing Virat’s number 18 Test shirt, as a tribute to the batsman. The suspicion sewed a beautiful picture at the site, although the weather gods had other plans.
A fan at the stadium said, “Clouds cry, white pigeons, flying over Chinnaswamy, fans wearing white jersey in the stand, what tribute is being paid to King Kohli at this time.”
Just wow!
Tribute of nature #Viratkohli Too…Even the whites scored in the sky #Chinnaswamy
– whitewash#RCBVVKKR #IPL2025 #RCB pic.twitter.com/cfjw12bdbp– (@iamsanathkumar) May 17, 2025
It was an organic outporing of affection for a player who kept Test cricket in public conscience and was its most inspiring ambassador.
It was clear that this day was of Kohli, as fans queued in white outside the stadium as 4.30 pm, to Playcard and emerged on the famous number 18 back wearing a white jersey.
They wanted to catch a glimpse of Kohli, which usually sits in the upper line of the team, expects a look back or a quick wave.
“Sir, Avaru Yawaga Baruthare? (When will he come?),” A impatient fan would sometimes ask a group of scribes walking through the crowd.
It was not just at its peak. It has developed the city’s deep connection with Kohli over the last 18 years.
Through these years, Kohli remained an unbreakable RCBian, and the red and gold jersey was like another skin for him.
Kohli once said, “For me, for me, the relationship and mutual honor with RCB over the years is the most valuable thing. Whether we win the trophy or not, it doesn’t matter. This is my home.”
In return, Bengaluru was also loyal to Kohli, when the rest of the cricket world prepared him for his aggression or topical petulance.
Kohli never had a situation like Sachin Tendulkar’s Pan-Indian God or was never adopted as ‘Tala’ as Chennai accepted MS Dhoni.
But he is Bangalorean as someone else, the people of the city are indispensable as a cup of coffee in the morning. Kohli has become his habit, a drug addiction.
With PTI input
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