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Virat Kohli: Can the famous 'Number 18' win the elusive title in IPL's 18th season?
There have been a few players who have featured for only one IPL team in their careers, but nobody has played for the same team for so long
- PUBLISHED: Thu 20 Mar 2025, 10:17 PM
As the cricket world gears up for Saturday’s opener between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League, everyone is anxious to see how the 10 franchises will perform after last year’s mega auction in Saudi Arabia brought massive changes to the teams.
So much so that even Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders last year to their first title since 2014, will be captaining Punjab Kings this year, hoping to make history by becoming the first player to lift back-to-back trophies with two different teams.
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Every auction changes the teams, but the mega auction, which takes place every three years with franchises getting to retain only a limited number of players, gives a new look to the teams.
This change has been constant in cricket’s most famous T20 tournament. But what hasn’t changed since the first edition in 2008 is Virat Kohli, one of India’s greatest cricketing heroes, wearing the colours of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
There have been a few players who have featured for only one IPL team in their careers, but nobody has played for the same team for so long.
Now, in the 18th season of the league, Kohli, the man who wears the number 18 jersey for both RCB and India, will be hoping to win the first IPL title for his team.
The perennial underachievers came close to lifting the trophy thrice (2009, 2011 and 2016) only to falter in the final hurdles.
This is a big season for the team under new captain Rajat Patidar and Kohli. The 36-year-old is at a crossroads, having rejuvenated himself with a couple of outstanding knocks in India’s triumphant Champions Trophy campaign after the horror show in the Australian Test series.
"It's pretty much come down to just the pure joy, enjoyment, competitive streak and love for the game. And as long as that is there, I will continue to play," Kohli said.
"As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game."
The RCB fans will hope that their talisman, who topped the scoring chart last year with 741 runs, finds the old spark in his batting.
The league this year will also see teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the Rajasthan Royals paid $130,500 for the 13-year-old batter in the mega auction.
It will also be intriguing to see how the Mumbai Indians fans welcome Hardik Pandya after the Indian all-rounder was booed at home matches last year for replacing crowd favourite Rohit Sharma.
So, buckle up for another exciting season which could produce riveting battles between the bat and the ball.
And if the Kohli-inspired RCB finally go on to win that elusive trophy on May 25, Bengaluru will party all night long.
IPL 2025: All you need to know
When:
The 18th edition of the IPL runs from March 22 to May 25.
Format:
* The 10 participating teams are split into two groups. Each team play twice, home and away, against other teams in the group and the team in the same row in the other group, along with one match each against the remaining four teams from the opposite group, totalling 14 matches in the group stage.
* The top four teams in a unified points table will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will play each other in 'Qualifier 1' with the winner reaching the final.
* The teams placed third and fourth will compete in the 'Eliminator' match where the winner will progress to 'Qualifier 2', taking on the loser of 'Qualifier 1' for a place in the final.
* Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings are in Group 1. Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are in Group 2.
WHERE:
* The IPL is held in the home cities of the franchises based across India. However, some teams may choose to split their home games between two or more cities.
* The 2025 edition will be played across 13 venues.
* Eden Gardens, the home ground of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, will host the opening game, 'Qualifier 2' and the final. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who finished second in the table last season, will host the 'Qualifier 1' and 'Eliminator' matches.
Teams:
Chennai Super Kings
Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Coach: Stephen Fleming
Best performance: Champions (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023)
Delhi Capitals
Captain: Axar Patel
Coach: Hemang Badani
Best Performance: Runners-up (2020)
Gujarat Titans
Captain: Shubman Gill
Coach: Ashish Nehra
Best performance: Champions (2022)
Kolkata Knight Riders
Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
Coach: Chandrakant Pandit
Best performance: Champions (2012, 2014, 2024)
Lucknow Super Giants
Captain: Rishabh Pant
Coach: Justin Langer
Best performance: Playoffs (2022, 2023)
Mumbai Indians
Captain: Hardik Pandya
Coach: Mahela Jayawardene
Best performance: Champions (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Punjab Kings
Captain: Shreyas Iyer
Coach: Ricky Ponting
Best performance: Runners-up (2014)
Rajasthan Royals
Captain: Sanju Samson
Coach: Rahul Dravid
Best performance: Champions (2008)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Captain: Rajat Patidar
Coach: Andy Flower
Best performance: Runners-up (2009, 2011, 2016)
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Captain: Pat Cummins
Coach: Daniel Vettori
Best performance: Champions (2016)
Who are playing this weekend?
March 22 (Saturday)
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Kolkata)
6 pm UAE Time
March 23 (Sunday)
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals (Hyderabad)
2 pm UAE Time
March 23 (Sunday)
Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
(Chennai)
6 pm UAE Time
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.