IPL 2024: Virat Kohli Asks Fans to Stop Calling Him 'King': 'I Feel Embarrassed'
The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain urges fans to just call him by his name
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli is definitely a king when it comes to his game, but the star batter said he doesn’t like being associated with the moniker and feels embarrassed.
At the Unbox event held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the franchise launched their new name, logo, and jersey, Kohli requested the fans to stop addressing him as a king. Amidst loud chants of Kohli-Kohli, the former skipper tried to make fans understand why he feels embarrassed with the sobriquet.
"Firstly, you need to stop calling me that word (king). I was telling Faf (du Plessis) that it is very embarrassing for me when you call me that name every year; just call me Virat," Kohli said.
Kohli hoped that RCB could make it a memorable year by winning the trophy in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, after the women’s team, led by Smriti Mandhana, gave the franchise their first trophy. Terming the WPL win as an ‘amazing one’, Kohli hoped the franchise could double up.
“It was absolutely amazing. When they won it (WPL), we were watching. Hopefully, we can double it up with the trophies and that will be something truly special,” Kohli said.
Kohli, who has played 237 matches for RCB and scored more than 7,200 runs for the franchise, said his commitment to RCB would never diminish.
“It is because of the way we play our cricket, our commitment, and the passion that we saw over the years that we have such a fanbase. So, that’s not going to change, and that’s my promise every year to the fans, to the team, and to everyone involved,” he added.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings square-off in the first match of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League(IPL 2024) in Chennai on March 22.
