'We got Rs 20 lakhs' - Virat Kohli opens up on emotions after being picked up by RCB in IPL 2008 auction

India's legendary cricketer Virat Kohli opened up about his reaction and emotions which he felt after being picked up by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the mega auction of the IPL 2008. The then 19-year-old player was ranked among the first-class cricketers list since he hadn't made his debut for India at that time. Kohli revealed that they were in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, when the auction happened. 

It was his first IPL auction, and surprisingly, it became his last auction as well since RCB retained him in the following years for his outstanding performance in the league. Kohli was a renowned name even then, as he had just won the U-19 World Cup for India as a captain. However, after playing in the IPL, he made his international debut.  

The right-handed batter was ecstatic with the auction amount of INR 20 lakh he got in the inaugural season of the league. This year, the cricketer is earning INR 21 crore from the same team, thanks to his consistent performances and match-winning knocks in the IPL and international cricket. He mentioned that the feeling was 'surreal' as it was completely unexpected.

"When the auction happened, we were in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, and we were sold as first-class cricketers, who were limited to Rs 20 lakhs. We went crazy in the corridor — ‘We got Rs 20 lakhs!’ That was the emotion behind it. Because we didn’t know what to expect—the opening ceremony, the whole experience of meeting great cricketers — it was surreal," said Kohli as quoted by The Indian Express.

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What followed the first season was truly historical. Kohli is now the leading run-scorer in the IPL with 8447 runs in 262 matches. He has scored eight centuries and has an average of 39.47. Kohli spoke about the rivalry RCB have with CSK and how much he enjoys playing against them in Bengaluru. 

"I would say one team that, historically, I’ve felt we’ve had the most intense games with is Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru. Because in Chennai, of course, there are Chennai fans — it’s just yellow and CSK fans everywhere. But to play against CSK in Bengaluru is something else, because a lot of Chennai fans come to Bengaluru. CSK fans travel in huge numbers, so they buy tickets very early and take over a section of the stadium," added Kohli.