Why did Virat Kohli stay silent as fans came in rain to celebrate his legacy?

On May 17, 2025, thousands of fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru wearing white No. 18 Test jerseys were saluting Virat Kohli for his cricket legacy in Tests. A campaign on social media led the acknowledgment of his career of 14 years during which he scored 9,230 runs and won 40 Test matches as captain. The downpour that flooded the IPL 2025 match with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) led to its cancellation; however, the fans remained on site, and they were chanting Kohli's name.

Wet jerseys and banners that were saying: "Thank you, Virat, for reviving Test cricket" had already occupied the seats. Defiant families came through the heavy rain, and they all expressed their devotion. The vendors reported that there was a significant increase in the sales of the replica jerseys of Kohli, one of them stating, "Fans hustling to buy No. 18 wasn't even postponed by the rain." The gesture pointed out the influence of Kohli in that match, even though the game was called off without the toss due to the invention of the rain starting at 6 PM.

It was from the dressing room where Kohli delivered his message or gesture—no response was forthcoming. The fans stayed, expecting to get some sort of notice while he was quiet and then finally walked out disappointed. The silence of the cricket star, who is recognized for his passion, was a disappointment to many of his fans since Kohli gave no indication why he did so. The game was awarded one point each for RCB (17 points, the top on the table) and KKR (12 points, eliminated) due to the washout which had a 71% rain chance at 7 PM and a 10:56 PM cutoff for a five-over game.

Reactions from Virat’s Fans

Some of Kohli's fans expressed their various feelings about his silence. According to a student, "We stood for hours in the rain and Virat did not even move his hand. It seemed like he did not even care." On the other hand, others stood with the cricketer, saying that the rain was disturbing, and a vendor also mentioned, "He is human, he might be looking at one thing only." There is no doubt that the fans' frustration was a manifestation of their unwavering emotional connection to the cricket star.

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Kohli’s quiet personality when he’s not on the pitch, indicating a thumbs-up to a Mumbai supporter, might be a reason why he kept silent. The rain was a factor that prevented socialization, and RCB’s Mo Bobat talked highly about Kohli’s hard work. Incidentally, Tea-Test retirement and Vrindavan sojourn are indicators of thoughtful reflection. It is highly probable that Kohli will come closer to fans during the RCB game against Sunrisers Hyderabad next May 23, thus, displaying their devotion.