Mumbai
IPL 2023: Ten teams will battle for the coveted 'Champions' title in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League 2023. These teams are Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. With the tournament inching closer to its gigantic start, we take a look at the Jersey No. 18 and its obsession among the RCB fans. Jersey no. 18 is worn by one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Virat Kohli, and fans' emotions are very seriously connected with this number.
Virat Kohli is without a doubt one of the greatest cricket players the world has ever seen. The Indian captain holds numerous records and has received millions of recognitions from fans. Virat Kohli's jersey number 18 has become synonymous with greatness as a result of his exceptional cricketing performance over the years, and he has proudly worn the number 18 on his jersey since the start of his professional career. Here's a little backstory to the Indian captain's number 8 jersey.
Jersey No. 18: How it became an 'emotion' among RCB fans
The reason why Virat Kohli chose the number 18 as his jersey number was his father, Prem Kohli. During his early childhood year, Kohli was sent to cricket coaching by his father and it was his father’s dream to see Virat Kohli play for the national side while representing team India in the international circuit. Kohli’s father passed away when he was 18 years old on December 18, 2006, and this is his way of paying a tribute to his late father.
Kohli was playing for Delhi in a Ranji Trophy match when his father, unfortunately, passed away. Kohli later went on to play for the Under-19 team, wearing the number 18. Because his father was unable to see him play for Team India, Kohli has always worn the number 18 as a tribute to him.
This is also the actual reason why he has 18 printed on the back of his jersey, whenever he is playing for India or for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. As soon as Kohli hits the ground and starts smashing the cricket bat with half-centuries and centuries, the crowd is filled with enthralment and jubilation. Jersey no. 18 being close to Kohli, soon became even closer to the hearts of his fans.
Virat Kohli's magnetic performances at the IPL
After a successful performance in the Under-19 World Cup, Kohli was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a sum of $30,000. Virat Kohli who took over as RCB's full-time captain in 2013, led them in 140 matches, winning 66 and losing as many as 70.
The former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team is popularly known as the Run Machine. Virat Kohli's ability and desire to score hefty hundreds have captivated the cricket world. The charismatic cricketer captained the Indian team that won the 2008 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, and King Kohli hasn't looked back since. He became the face of the new-age cricketer who is aggressive and vocal on the pitch. Kohli joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad in 2008 and took over as captain in 2013. In 2016, he topped the list of leading run scorers, earning him the Orange Cap at the end of the league's ninth season.
In October 2016, Kohli announced at the launch event of his biography, Driven: The Virat Kohli Story in New Delhi, that he would permanently play for Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team he had been captaining for several seasons.
Kohli was retained by RCB for $1.9 million in the 2022 season. Despite not performing to his usual standards, Kohli managed to score 341 runs in 16 innings, with an average of 21.31 and a strike rate of 115. Kohli passed the 6500-run mark in the IPL during a match against the Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium. He added 7000 runs to his Royal Challengers Bangalore record in the tournament's final league match against the Gujarat Titans.
Virat Kohli: A massive record-holder
Vrat Kohli has been undoubtedly the most consistent performer in the IPL thus far. Here, we have a look at the huge accolades that the King has achieved in his IPL career.
S.No | Record |
1 | Highest run scorer (6624) |
2 | Most runs in a season (973) |
3 | Most hundreds in a season (4) |
4 | Joint 2nd highest centuries (5) |
5 | Most matches as captain of the RCB |
6 | 3rd most fifties (44) |
7 | First batsman to score 6500 runs |
8 | Most runs against Delhi Capitals (925) |
9 | Most runs against Rising Pune Supergiant (271) |
10 | Most runs for RCB (6,624) |
11 | Highest score against Rising Pune Supergiant (108*) |
12 | Joint 2nd highest 50+ scores (49) |
13 | Fastest to 6000 runs (188 innings) |
14 | 2nd fastest to 5000 runs |
15 | First batsman to score 500 runs in 5 different seasons |
16 | 2nd most fours (578) |
17 | 6th most sixes (218) |
18 | 5th most runs in an over (30) |
19 | Only player to have played for the same franchise since the first season |
20 | Won the Orange Cap in 2016 (973 runs) |
21 | Won the Most-valuable Player Award in 2016 |
22 | 3rd joint highest IPL salary (INR 15 Crores) |
23 | Scored 7000 runs for the RCB |
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