IPL 2024: Virat Kohli teases crowd hinting at opening the bowling; video goes viral

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata. As the match was about to start, a unique scene unfolded on the ground, orchestrated by none other than the iconic Virat Kohli.

Just before the first innings commenced, Virat Kohli was spotted on the field, and removed his cap, seemingly preparing his run-up. He appeared all set to bowl the opening over, taking on the role of an opening bowler. However, it was evidently more of a lighthearted moment, teasing the crowd, yet the video of the incident quickly began circulating on the internet.

Here's the video -

Coming to the match, RCB have chosen to bowl first and have made three changes in their playing XI, bringing back Green, Siraj, and Karn Sharma. Before the start of play, RCB captain Faf du Plessis expressed his preference for chasing, citing the ground's history of favoring it. Despite usually preferring to bat first in hot conditions, he noted a drop in temperature the previous day. With confidence in their strong batting lineup and the return of key players, he believed they could regain momentum and utilize their firepower effectively.

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"We will chase. This is probably a chasing ground, always has been. I'm a fan of batting first when it's really hot, but the temperature did drop after an hour or so yesterday, unlike in Mumbai or Chennai where it stays very hot. The batting is so strong that a general score or 60-70 isn't considered great during the batting PP. We know if we do a few things back, the momentum can be back and we do have the firepower," Faf said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

Shifting focus to the points table, RCB have played seven games, securing victory in just one and suffering defeat in six, placing them at the bottom. Conversely, KKR have been in good form, despite a heart-wrenching loss against Rajasthan Royals in their previous match. They currently hold the third position in the table, with four wins in their six matches.