- Shamser Khalid
Virat Kohli Shares Untold Story of IPL Rejection
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer who is considered one of the best batsmen in the world. He has been playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli's loyalty to RCB is admirable, and he has been their captain for nine seasons, leading the team to numerous victories.
In a recent interview with JioCinema, Kohli recalled being rejected by another IPL franchise during the initial seasons of the league. He stated that he was batting at the fifth or sixth spot and wanted to play up on the batting order. He approached another franchise with the proposal, but they denied giving a top-order spot to the batsman.
Kohli further revealed that the reason he values his partnership and journey with RCB so much is that they backed him during the first three years of the IPL. Even when the retentions happened, RCB said that they wanted to retain him. Kohli's only feedback to Ray Jennings at the time was that he wanted to bat in the top order. He stated that he bats at number three for India and wanted to do the same for RCB, and they agreed.
“It's been amazing. Why I value this partnership and journey with RCB so much, is because, in the first 3 years of the IPL, they backed me a lot. Even when the retentions happened, they said, 'We want to retain you',” Kohli told Robin Uthappa during an interview for JioCinema.
“My only feedback to Ray Jennings at the time was 'I want to bat in top-order. I bat at 3 for India, and I want to bat at 3'. And they said, 'okay, you will bat at 3'. They showed faith in me at the time when I needed it. I was growing in my international career as well," Kohli added.
Kohli's statement suggests that RCB showed faith in him when he needed it the most. On the other hand, the other franchise was not even keen enough to listen to him. He stated that he was playing lower down the order at the time and wanted the opportunity to bat at the top of the order somewhere else. However, the same franchise that rejected him approached him before the retention and asked him to come to the auction. Kohli turned down the offer and decided to stay with the franchise that backed him.
In 2021, Kohli stepped down as the captain of RCB. Despite having a disappointing season in the following year, he managed to make a remarkable comeback in all formats of the game in 2022. In the current season, Kohli has played five matches for RCB and has scored two half-centuries.
Kohli's loyalty to RCB is admirable, and it shows his commitment to the team. He has been playing for RCB for over a decade now, and his contribution to the team has been immense. He has played some magical knocks for the franchise, and his leadership has been exceptional.
Kohli's statement about being rejected by another franchise highlights the importance of showing faith in players. It also suggests that sometimes, the rejection can motivate players to perform better and prove themselves. Kohli's loyalty to RCB despite being rejected by another franchise shows that he values the team that showed faith in him.
Virat Kohli's loyalty to RCB is admirable, and his commitment to the team is commendable. His statement about being rejected by another franchise shows that sometimes, the rejection can motivate players to perform better and prove themselves. Kohli's journey with RCB has been remarkable, and his contribution to the team has been immense.
To read more on Virat Kohli's antics in the IPL, you should check out when his unfollowing of Sourav Ganguly on social media sparked rumors.
