Wankhede roars! Noise hits 138 dB as Virat Kohli gets Dhoni-like welcome

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 7, 2025, 22:17 IST

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Virat Kohli was greeted with an overwhelming reception at Wankhede Stadium during the RCB-MI clash in IPL 2025, as the crowd's roar reached a record-breaking 138 decibels. Echoing the frenzy usually reserved for MS Dhoni, Kohli responded with a brilliant innings of 67 runs. He also became the first Indian to surpass 13,000 T20 runs, solidifying his legendary status.

Wankhede roars! Noise hits 138 dB as Virat Kohli gets Dhoni-like welcome

Virat Kohli at Wankhede stadium. (Video grab)

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli received a thunderous welcome at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday as Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. When the RCB star walked out to bat, chants of "Kohli, Kohli" erupted across the iconic venue, with the official broadcaster’s ‘shor meter’ registering a staggering 138 decibels — one of the loudest roars ever recorded in IPL history.WATCH:

The electric reception was reminiscent of the home crowd frenzy at Chepauk for MS Dhoni, popularly known as 'Thala'. In fact, Kohli’s Wankhede entry echoed Dhoni’s recent reception in Chennai, where the roar was so deafening that even MI owner Nita Ambani was seen covering her ears.

Kohli didn’t disappoint the sea of fans. During his blistering knock of 67 off 42 balls, he became the first Indian cricketer to breach the 13,000-run mark in T20s — joining legends like Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard in the elite club.The 36-year-old now has 13,050 runs in 402 T20 matches, with 9 hundreds and 99 fifties. His popularity continues to soar, and Wankhede’s roar on Monday was yet another testament to Kohli’s iconic status in Indian cricket.

Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.

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TOI Sports Desk

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