Bengaluru, May 17 (IANS) As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resumes after a brief suspension, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans are planning a special tribute to their most beloved cricketer, Virat Kohli. In what promises to be an emotional evening at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday (May 17), RCB fans have planned to wear white T-shirts to honour Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket.

The fans have planned to come out in huge numbers to hail Kolhi despite rain being predicted for the evening. And it promptly started raining well before the toss, but the fans continued to stay put in the stands.

The match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be Kohli’s first appearance since he shocked the cricketing world by announcing his sudden retirement from red-ball cricket on May 12, during the break in the tournament caused by India-Pakistan border tensions.

Tribute jerseys in white have already been spotted across markets in Bengaluru, with fans turning up in large numbers to purchase them ahead of the high-voltage clash. Social media campaigns around the initiative have also gained momentum, with many posts calling on supporters to transform the stadium into a “white sea” for the special occasion.

Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle acknowledged the idea on social media, tweeting, “Are you planning to turn up in white for the game on the 17th? Remember seeing a post suggesting that. It will be incredible and a sight for the ages if true and if you can pull it off.”

However, concerns have been raised about potential issues with ball visibility. A white T-shirt-dominated crowd could pose a challenge for fielders trying to track the white ball used in T20 matches.

Addressing the matter, RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, told ESPNcricinfo, “It’s not something we’ve thought about or talked about too much. I’ve certainly noticed that the fans have been talking about that a little bit, but I don’t think it’ll have much of an impact on our play.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently in the second position in the points table and will be hoping to overcome Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday to improve their chances of clinching a place in the playoffs.

–IANS

hs/bsk/