The forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is about to begin, and Virat Kohli, the prominent player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has started to forge connections with the new members of the team. Kohli, a longstanding member of RCB since the league's establishment, is preparing to take the field in IPL 2025, motivated by his desire to achieve his first league title. Throughout his illustrious career, he has played alongside many cricketing legends, such as AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, Rahul Dravid, and Anil Kumble; however, RCB is still among the few franchises that have not yet secured an IPL championship.

For IPL 2025, RCB has formed a significantly restructured team, retaining only three players from the last season: Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. As the most seasoned player on the roster, Kohli has already begun to build rapport with Phil Salt, who was signed by RCB for a substantial INR 11.50 crore during the IPL 2025 auction.

At the RCB unboxing event leading up to IPL 2025, the two batsmen shared a humorous moment. While the RCB players were tossing balls into the stands as mementos for fans, Salt inadvertently hit Kohli on the side of the head with one of the balls, momentarily catching the former captain off guard.

Salt recounted the amusing episode, mentioning that Kohli quickly began to look for the source of the impact. Upon realizing it was Salt, the two shared a hug, laughed, and continued their lap around the field together.

"I just saw Virat in my line of sight," Salt stated in a video released by RCB. "Honestly, I hit him quite well on the side of the head. He literally turned around with a whiplash to find me. I’m not sure who was pointing at me; he thought it was someone else until his gaze landed on me, and he looked serious. I didn’t want to stick around! I tried to make a quick exit, but he was on me in no time. If there’s footage of that, it would be incredibly funny," he added.

'I've been here for 18 years…': Virat Kohli

Under the guidance of Captain Rajat Patidar, the team performed a lap of honor to show their appreciation to their loyal fanbase for their steadfast support during the event at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The enthusiastic crowd was subsequently entertained by an exhilarating musical performance from Hanumankind, one of India's prominent rappers.

Former RCB captain Kohli expressed his excitement for the forthcoming season to the fans.

"It is truly a delight to return to this remarkable city and be surrounded by such fantastic fans. The energy and enthusiasm are as vibrant as ever, reminiscent of past seasons. Having spent 18 years here, I hold a deep affection for this place. This time, we have an exceptional team brimming with talent, and I am personally very eager to begin the upcoming season," Kohli stated.

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