'Fans' love for him is something special' - Sanjay Manjrekar in awe as fans paint Chinnaswamy white to honour Virat Kohli

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar appreciated fans’ gesture following Virat Kohli’s Test retirement as a plethora of spectators turned up at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the RCB-KKR clash donning white ‘Virat 18’ jerseys in a tribute to his Test legacy. 

It proved to be a damp squib eventually as the fixture never commenced thanks to the unrelenting Bengaluru rain, but there was a manifest difference in the vibe and the appearance of a stadium which is usually painted in red and gold at this time of the year.

"The love that the fans have for Virat Kohli, it’s something special. This was an IPL night match, and fans came dressed in whites to commemorate a moment in Indian cricket history. That’s a beautiful gesture,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

“For five years, he made Test cricket watchable and more popular. We often say no player is bigger than the game, but during a time when Test cricket was struggling to engage fans, Virat gave it the attention it desperately needed.

“He’s still playing in the IPL, but he always had the desire to keep Test cricket alive. As a captain, I’ve never seen an Indian Test skipper who managed to keep the intensity so high, even when the team wasn’t doing well or when things were drifting. That’s a legacy in itself."

Manjrekar’s co-panellist and former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar reflected on Kohli’s decision to step away from Test cricket, admitting that he was taken aback by the unexpected announcement.

"It was a sad day for me personally. He was a giant of his era. I tried to reason with him – there were still a few good years of Test cricket left in him. But he had made up his mind. He was convinced about the timing, and once he made that decision, there was no going back. We must respect that. In our country, letting go is not always appreciated, but Virat chose the right moment. He retired when people were still asking ‘why now?’ – and that’s often the hallmark of a great sportsman."

Meanwhile, the washed-out fixture means that Kolkata Knight Riders have been knocked out of the season without even facing a single ball upon the resumption of the IPL after an unprecedented ten-day break amid the cross-border India-Pakistan tensions. As for RCB, they remain firm contenders of not merely qualifying but also securing a top-two berth.