The covers still lie heavy on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The skies haven’t made up their mind. But in the stands, something magical is unfolding. A silent tribute. A collective promise kept. Today, it isn’t about the toss or the scorecard. It’s about love. And legacy.
On 12 May, Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket. No fanfare, no farewell match, not even a whisper from the board. Just a lone Instagram post: “#269, signing off.” And just like that, the curtain fell. No final roar in whites. No lap of honour. Just stunned silence and shattered hearts.
Yet, true fans, his fans, they felt it differently. This wasn’t just an announcement. It was a wound. Because they never saw Sydney as his final act. They believed in their King. They still do. For them, Kohli wasn’t supposed to go quietly into the night.
But if the powers that be wouldn’t give him a send-off, the people would.
In a city that has embraced two sporting sons — Sunil Chhetri and Virat Kohli — it was time to rise. An RCB fan group called out to Bengaluru: wear your white “Virat 18” Test jerseys. Come as if you’re walking into a dream. Come to honour a warrior.
And they came.
Despite the rain, despite the uncertainty, the galleries at Chinnaswamy turned white. Not with clouds, but with cotton. The sight was ethereal. An ocean of white shirts. “Virat 18” on every back. A thousand silent tributes stitched into fabric.
Virat may or may not walk out to bat today but Bengaluru is already standing. Hoping. Waiting. Whispering prayers. This might be the first time he steps onto the field since the retirement post. And for fans still reeling, still processing the pain, this moment feels like parting and reunion all at once.
Was it too much to ask for a farewell match? At least one last chance to see him in whites? Those debates are still burning. But his fans didn’t wait for permission. They did what they’ve always done — show up, stand tall, and love fiercely.
And today, just like he’s done for them over the years, with every blistering drive, every roar, every comeback, they’re doing something for him.
So if you’re unsure about the depth of his following, just glance at the stands. Watch how strangers come together in white, stitched together by shared devotion. And if you’re one of the many fans whose heart sank at “#269, signing off”, take comfort in this: you’re not alone.
The weather may betray us today. The system might’ve failed him. But Virat Kohli’s fans? They haven’t missed a beat. They came, they stood, and they reminded the world what true farewell looks like — Virat 18 fans are never signing off.