Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana both sport jersey number 18.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana made it clear that she doesn't like being compared to Virat Kohli, stressing that she should be recognized on her own merits rather than being compared to the cricketing legend.
Mandhana’s comments came after she led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to its maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) title on March 17. On the other hand, the Virat Kohli-starred RCB Men's team haven't won an IPL title in 16 edition. Even when Virat Kohli was captain of the RCB team, the franchise failed to lift the trophy.
In a thrilling WPL 2024 final held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, RCB defeated Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals (DC) by 8 wickets to win the championship for the side, which has been waiting for the IPL title for the last 16 years.
However, amidst RCB's triumph, attention has shifted to whether Kohli could clinch the IPL 2024 trophy. Well, Mandhana described Kohli as an 'inspiration' and commended him for his remarkable achievements throughout his illustrious 16-year career.
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Smriti Mandhana was quoted as saying by India Today: “Title is one thing, but the other No.18 has achieved a lot for India and that is a big thing. So, I don’t think the comparison is right in terms of where my career is and what he has already achieved.”
She added, “I don’t like being compared because what he has achieved has been great; he has been an inspirational person. The title doesn’t define a lot of things. We all respect him and I feel like the respect in Indian cricket has to be right up there for Virat.”
Both Kohli and Mandhana sport jersey number 18, but she emphasized that the number on their jerseys doesn't define whether their playing styles are the same.
She signed off by saying, “So, there’s nothing different for me. I would not really term it as 18 and 18. Jersey number is just a personal choice, and it doesn’t define how he plays his cricket and how I play mine.”