Virat Kohli has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore since the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. He start his IPL stint with RCB and in 2013, he was named the skipper. Over the years, he has played several top notch knocks for the side but the title has always eluded him.

When asked about his favourite match for the franchise, Kohli talked about their 2009 Champions League T20 match against Mumbai Indians. Although his side was defeated in the encounter, Kohli scored a fighting 49 and that got him noticed among the experts and fans.

“I clearly remember the Champions League T20 Game in 2010 against Mumbai Indians in Durban, where I scored 49 runs, but we lost the game in the last delivery. I consider it as one of my most memorable innings wearing the RCB jersey,” Kohli was quoted as saying by IANS.

“When everyone had given up, I stayed till the end and almost won us the game. This gave me a lot of confidence, and everyone who watched that game, appreciated me. That was my #GameBanayegaName moment, the innings that gave me extensive recognition. Mumbai Indians team consisted of Zaheer Khan who bowled that last over along with Sachin Paaji and Bajju pa; and they all saw the game and noticed what I could potentially do, and for me that was a big moment,” Kohli added.

Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore will play the IPL 2019 opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on March 23 in Chennai.

First Published: Mar 16, 2019 13:17 IST