Will the real Virat Kohli please stand up?
All that has been documented about the Bengaluru traffic, extensively, yet unembellished, assumes the form of a flagrant concoction on Sundays. The swarming city tends to remain uncharacteristically calm on this particular day, revitalising ahead of another week’s hustle and bustle.
The 32.7 kilometres ride from Kempegowda International Airport to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is usually a comfortable, 45-minute ride on regular Bengaluru Sundays, except, 26 March was not one of those.
After a prolonged interlude of three years, fans of Royal Challengers Bangalore were about to throng the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
On agenda was 'RCB Unbox', a rather unprecedented event, wherein the entire RCB squad would have a practice session, two former icons in AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle would be inducted into the ‘RCB Hall of Fame,’ and musicians, from the nation and abroad, would perform.
But no sooner did our car ditch the NH 44 to enter the city roads, than the realisation struck – beyond everything else, the greatest spectacle on offer remains Virat Kohli.
When Bengaluru Turned Into a Virat Kohli Cloning Hub
Encircling our car were two-wheelers – plenty of them, each visibly different from the other, barring one uniting factor. Everyone on the bikes wore a red and black kit, with its back reading ‘Virat 18’.
The 'Virat 18' bike clan, in full glory.
(Photo: The Quint)
The Quint arrived at the stadium five hours prior to the event, yet, the formation of a queue was already beyond its inception stage. Forget what the bureaucracy dictates, the most powerful person in Bengaluru was, albeit for a few hours, the person deployed at the ticket counter.
For a few hours, Bengaluru's most powerful person was the one deployed at the ticket counter.
(Photo: The Quint)
He was not of great help to many – the tickets were already sold. Seizing the opportunity were a few miscreants, trying to sell whatever they had purchased, of course, for a premium. The media accreditation card did prevent him from approaching us, but not the jersey seller.
Jerseys sold like hot cakes outside the stadium.
(Photo: The Quint)
Fortune was smiling ever so brightly on him, for the entire collection was pounced upon and sold soon, at a pace that could put Gayle’s 30-ball century to shame. The unifier, yet again, was that particular combination of five letters and two numbers – Virat 18.
The inseparables - Dhoni and Kohli were, evidently, united again here in Bengaluru.
(Photo: The Quint)
By then, any unwary onlooker could have misapprehended the fandom for a giant-scale cloning operation. Barring one courageous soul, a rebel who turned up with a ‘Dhoni 7’ Indian shirt, everyone had donned the same kit. With pride.
Now, will the real Virat Kohli please stand up?
The Main Act
He did. Not at the drop of a hat, but eventually, and that sparked an eruption, a wave of ecstasy.
The team’s captain, Faf du Plessis got into the nets before Kohli did, and smacked the ball as hard as he could – but try telling that to the thousands inside the venue. RCB, for all of their glory, are yet to get their hands on the trophy – but try telling that to the fans. Reece Topley looked in fine rhythm, Glenn Maxwell used his repertoire of unorthodox shots, and amid everything, Harshal Patel was playing the guitar – but try telling that to ‘Virat 18’ clan.
A roar, deafening but synchronised, was all the hint one needed to predict the inevitable – Kohli was padded up, ready to unleash.
The first few deliveries saw the former captain checking his defensive stance, though not in a perfectly efficacious manner, as Topley did manage to dismantle his stumps – quietude ensued. Then, the shots were called.
Kohli during the RCB lap of honour, alongside Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.
(Photo: Twitter/RCBTweets, altered by The Quint)
Kohli started off by batting against the pacers, before switching nets to face the spinners. The entire saga might not have exceeded 20 minutes, but every boundary was cheered on, and every maximum resulted in rhapsodies.
These fours, sixes and runs will not be added to Kohli’s official career tally – but try telling that to Bengaluru.
A Showstopper Nonpareil
Virat Kohli makes his way into the dressing room, as fans try to capture the moment.
(Photo: The Quint)
As he breezed into the dressing room, wriggling his way through zealous fans to his left, and opportunistic photographers to his right, marking the conclusion of the main act, those in waiting got their moment under the sun.
A lap of honour, followed by the musical acts, the ‘coronation’ of Gayle and de Villiers, and finally, the launch of the new jersey marked a glamorous night at the Chinnaswamy.
Yet, in the midst of a plethora of glitzy spectacles, Kohli was, perhaps for the gazillionth time in his career, the showstopper. The greatest sight was the shots he played, and the greatest music was that one his bat elicited, every time the batter middled the leather. The real Virat Kohli did stand up.
The 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season is still a few days away, but whilst returning to their homes, those in the bikes might have hummed:
Guess who’s back? Back again;
Virat’s back. Tell a friend.
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