The camaraderie that players share during the Indian Premier League (IPL) is what makes the tournament special for India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli.
Kohli would have been leading RCB in the 2020 edition of the T20 league had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic forcing its postponement.
“You do play all your tournaments, which is one team versus another, ICC tournaments come every now and then, but even in ICC tournaments, you don’t really interact with the other team players or you see the other teams so often every now and then,” Kohli said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.
“But in the IPL, you are just probably meeting another team every second or third day and that’s the beauty of the IPL, you are playing in a different atmosphere.”
Playing with the best
RCB may not have enjoyed too much success in the IPL thus far, but Kohli has shared the dressing room with some of the biggest names in the sport such as A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle.
Kohli also said that the connection that the franchises are able to make with fans of their cities also makes the tournament special.
“I absolutely love that tournament and also for the camaraderie which you share with so many new players that you play with, so many players that you have known for a long time now, not from your own country, those who you don’t see often.
“There is one more reason why everyone loves the IPL: there is a connect, of players and fans and of viewers,” he said.