Senior Indian batter Virat Kohli revealed the cosmic connection he has with his jersey number 18. Kohli is widely regarded as the best batter of modern times across formats, having played close to 15 years of international cricket.
Kohli first gained prominence when India won the ICC U19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, and he soon earned his international debut for the senior men's team in an ODI bilateral series against Sri Lanka. He has since gone on to score the second most runs (25322) in international cricket for India, only behind Sachin Tendulkar (34357).
Interestingly, Kohli has been wearing the jersey with number 18 printed behind it for both India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL ever since he started playing at a higher level.
When asked about the significance behind the number and his cosmic connection with it, Kohli explained on Star Sports: "There has to be a cosmic connection with this number. I find it quite surreal even now to be honest when I see so many people wearing my jersey number and name.It's quite surreal because I never imagined that I would be in this position one day. I was a kid wanting to wear my hero's jersey at a certain given point."
"To be honest 18 started off just being a number that was given to me when I opened that first India U19 jersey. I never asked for it, it was just given to me. But then it ended up becoming a very important number in my life. My debut came for India on 18th of August, 2008. My father passed away on the 18th of December, 2006. Two of the most significant dates in my life happened to be 18," he added.
Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bangalore will strive for a resounding victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. A triumph for RCB would propel them past the Mumbai Indians and into the top four, while a defeat would likely hinder their chances of qualifying. It is crucial for RCB to secure a win and maintain their momentum in the tournament.
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