Royal Challengers Bengaluru&rsquo;s batting icon, <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2025-virat-kohli-highlights-ipl-role-in-shaping-his-modern-day-t20-approach-23516244" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Virat Kohli</a>, took a nostalgic journey back to where it all began, his debut for the franchise 18 years ago. 
Kohli remains one of the few cricketers to have represented a single franchise throughout the league&rsquo;s history. His IPL journey began during the inaugural match of the 2008 season, a high-octane clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders. 
It was a game that went down in history, thanks to <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/we-trained-plenty-for-india-tour-brendon-mccullum-23483394" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Brendon McCullum</a>&rsquo;s explosive 158 off 73 balls, which set the tone for the tournament. For Kohli, however, the night was far more subdued, he managed just one run off five balls, falling to Ashok Dinda as nerves and inexperience got the better of him.
Despite the modest beginning, Kohli looked back on that debut with fondness. He vividly recalled the surreal experience of sharing the dressing room with Indian legends, describing it as stepping into a 'fantasy land'. 
Although he candidly admitted to feeling nervous and knowing that his game wasn&rsquo;t yet up to par, those early moments laid the foundation for the modern-day great he went on to become.
"The first time I played in IPL, I was in complete awe. I hadn't really met anyone before, except maybe Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh from our North Zone days, so walking into a dressing room with legends like Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid felt like fantasy land," he said in a candid conversation on '18 Calling 18' on JioHotstar.
"But with that excitement came pressure. I knew my game wasn't quite at that level yet, and I had to prove myself. That pressure eventually caught up with me in the first season. Still, the experience was unforgettable," he added.
After Kohli's maiden season ended with just 165 runs at a mere average of 15.00, his game continued to soar to new levels with each passing season. He felt the constant changes in the batting order and the lack of top-order opportunities made it hard for him to settle in.
"In my first three years with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/rcbs-patidar-fined-for-slow-over-rate-23515892" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Royal Challengers Bengaluru</a>, I didn't get many opportunities to bat in the top order. I was usually sent in lower down. So, I wasn't really able to crack the IPL in a big way early on, apart from the occasional impactful knock," he said.
"But the 2009 season felt a bit better for me. The pitches that year suited my game, the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and I could play my shots more freely. It was definitely an interesting phase in my career. From 2010 onwards, I started performing more consistently, and by 2011, I was regularly batting at number three. That's when my IPL journey really began to take shape," he added.
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