Virat Kohli is a name that echoes through every alleyway and household in India. It is a name synonymous with success, power and an unimaginable fan following. Kohli is not just a cricketer or a celebrity, he is a phenomenon. If the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain were to play a game alone, people would still fill up a stadium, such is the brand value of his name.
We witnessed a glimpse of that madness at Eden Gardens as the RCBteam stepped out to practice ahead of the blockbuster IPL 2025 opening game. The atmosphere outside the iconic stadium was electric, charged with fans desperate to catch a glimpse of Kohli.
People thronged the gates, climbed fences, dodged cops, swerved past security personnel, and tried every trick to sneak inside. Their only aim was to get a good look at their favourite star or if they could, perhaps even a selfie or an autograph. Even as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ team bus pulled up for practice, chants of “Kohli… Kohli” that took over. Such is the craze for the icon that even the home team’s arrival could not shift the attention.
When the RCB team bus finally parked alongside the Eden Gardens entry, the frenzy reached its peak. Fans leaped forward, straining against the barricades, screaming at the top of their lungs, desperate to spot the man they revere. The cops and security personnel did their best to contain the crowd, but you can only do so much to contain such frenzy.
Across the road, the scene was no less dramatic. Cars came to a halt as “Kohli… Kohli” chants echoed through the air. Horns blared, but no one paid any attention. As captured by Debasis Sen in the 5@5 live show on RevSportz, one man, unfazed by the chaos, stopped right in the middle of the road. With a flourish, he pulled out his phone, eyes locked on the team bus, recording the King in action. Oblivious to the honking cars and the traffic jam he was causing, his sole focus was Kohli. Such is the pull, where not only hundreds waited for hours to get a glimpse, but also stopped traffic.
The city breathes cricket, and KKR loyalists leave no stone unturned in showing their franchise the love and support they deserve. But when the ‘Kohli’ garnish is added to the mix, the scene turns into pure frenzy.
With Kohli headlining the clash, ticket sales have hit the roof. The black market is thriving — as the RevSportz team made their way inside the stadium to cover the practice session — fans hanging from the fences called out to us, desperately asking for tickets. The buzz was that ticket prices in the black market had soared to lakhs of rupees, all thanks to Kohli’s presence. The grand IPL opening ceremony has only added to the fervour surrounding the KKR vs RCB blockbuster.
Once the players were inside, it was usual business — drills, nets, practice and strategies, but the roar from outside was hard to ignore. RCB practiced from 6 pm to 9 pm, yet the crowd refused to die down. Kohli went about his routine, having two different net sessions, unfazed as always by the madness he had caused.
The IPL thrives on names like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and a few more. But no star shines like the greatest batter of this generation, no matter the stadium, city or state, stadiums will always swell with crowds, all for that one sighting of King Kohli.
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