A giant artwork of Virat Kohli was unveiled by fans outside the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru were preparing for their big-ticket match against Lucknow Super Giants on Thursday. Unlike the glossy digital poster, the 345-square-foot piece appeared to be painstakingly handcrafted in black and white. Interestingly, his ardent supporters chose not to feature him in his RCB avatar and instead opted for his T20 international appearance for the massive installation.
The surge reflected Kohli’s control over the city. LSG vs RCB Update | Scorecard
Hours before the first ball was bowled, fans could be seen busily erecting a towering tribute outside the stadium gates. As expected, the Lucknow crowd turned up in huge numbers for this momentous encounter as the city has long been one of Virat Kohli’s staunchest strongholds. Hundreds of supporters dressed in the iconic ‘Kohli 18’ jersey were seen making their way to the stadium long before the gates even opened.
The atmosphere reached a fever pitch as Kohli finally emerged from the tunnel and began his pre-match routines. Literally a sea of red rushed towards the boundary ropes just to get a closer look at the superstar cricketer who always visibly enjoyed playing in Lucknow.
The chants of “Virat, Virat” were so deafening that they even affected the official proceedings, leaving Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar unable to hear the broadcast during the toss. Ever the showman, Kohli made sure to entertain the packed stands during his practice sessions and often acknowledged the outpouring of love from the thousands of fans who watched his every move.
The RCB skipper won the toss and opted to field on what was a breezy evening in the city. Kohli will now look to continue his impressive run at Ekana, where he has historically flourished, scoring 128 runs, including a half-century, in his three previous appearances at the venue.
On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants, currently languishing at the bottom of the points table, opted for a major shake-up by making three changes to their starting eleven. Their regular opener Josh Inglis missed out due to a niggle, while the side were also without the services of pace duo Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan. In a tactical shift, youngster Arshin Kulkarni was sent in to open the batting alongside Mitchell Marsh, while spinners Digvesh Rathi and Shahbaz Ahmed were brought in to replace the departing fast bowlers.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
07 May 2026 20:07 IST
