Virat Kohli celebrates 400th T20 milestone, honoured at IPL 2025 opening ceremony

During the IPL 2025 opening ceremony, Virat Kohli received the ‘IPL 18’ memento from BCCI president Roger Binny. Kohli, the top run-scorer in IPL history, marked his 400th T20 appearance. After dancing with Shah Rukh Khan, captains Rajat Patidar and Ajinkya Rahane shared their optimism for the season. Patidar won the toss, choosing to field.

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Benglauru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli was honoured with the “IPL 18” memento by BCCI president Roger Binny during the IPL 2025 opening ceremony.

Kohli, who has been with RCB since the IPL’s inception and captained the team from 2011 to 2023, is the tournament’s highest run-scorer, with a record 8,004 runs in 252 matches. His outstanding tally includes eight centuries and 55 half-centuries.

Despite a brilliant 2016 season where he scored 973 runs with four centuries, Kohli is yet to lift the IPL trophy, underlining the unpredictable nature of team sport.

The occasion also marked Kohli’s 400th appearance in T20 cricket, a remarkable milestone. Before receiving his accolade, Kohli displayed his fun side by dancing with Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan to the hit song “Jhoome Jo Pathaan”.

SRK, with his characteristic enthusiasm, introduced Kohli on stage, calling him “the King of 22 yards and a billion hearts”.

Following Kohli’s felicitation, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh joined SRK for a lively dance to “Lutt Putt Gaya”.

Both captains, RCB’s Rajat Patidar and KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane, were invited on stage after the performances.

Patidar shared his excitement about leading RCB, expressing his confidence in the team and the support of the fans.

Rahane, on the other hand, spoke about the importance of patience and continuous improvement in his game.

After the ceremony, Patidar won the toss and opted to field, putting defending champions KKR to bat. The teams, filled with energy and anticipation, prepared for an exciting IPL 2025 season opener.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.

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