Virat Kohli pays tribute as Bangalore inducts Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers in Hall of Fame

Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers played a major role in making Bangalore one of the most loved teams in the Indian T20 League. The two have given many memorable performances donning the red jersey. And now, Bangalore has inducted the veteran cricketers to the team's Hall of Fame.

Virat Kohli, the former team captain, shared a touching message for his former teammates. He said that the two players altered the tournament's approach over the years. He also said that the two had a major impact in making Bangalore one of the most popular teams.

"It's truly special for me to be doing this for the both of you. We have seen how you've changed the way the IPL has been played over the years. Two people who have had a huge impact in IPL being where it is today and to bring RCB to where it is today. I've played for 11 years with AB de Villiers whereas seven with Chris Gayle. Both the journeys started in 2011 which for me will be the most special year. I met both of you in 2011, I started playing with both of you and RCB got to experience the brilliance of both you guys for so many years," he said.

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Introducing the #RCB Hall of Fame: Match winners, Legends, Superstars, Heroes - you can go on and on about @ABdeVilliers17 and @henrygayle, two individuals who are responsible for taking IPL to where it is today. #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2022 #ನಮ್ಮRCB #RCBHallOfFame pic.twitter.com/r7VUkxqEzP

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 17, 2022

He recalled his favourite memories of the West Indian and the South African with the team. For De Villers, he said their partnership of 229 runs against the now-defunct Gujarat team was his best memory. For Gayle, he said that his first season with the team and his innings of 175 were his greatest memories.

He said, "I remember a few memories of playing together which always stands out for me. With AB, they are from the 2016 seasons, both against Gujarat, wherein one game we had that massive partnership together which was amazing. I saw first-hand close up how brilliant he is and I was astonished. I couldn't believe what I had seen. The second memory is when we were struggling the same year and AB took us home.

"Chris came in after 4 games from nowhere, sitting in Jamaica and chilling. Not many people know but Chris was a replacement for Dirk Nannes. He came in, got 2 hundreds that year and 7 fifty-plus scores. The other memory is the 175 not out. I've been fortunate to witness the brilliance of these two guys for so many years and it's truly an honour for me to be standing here and be part of their induction. We would surely want to see more of you in RCB in whatever capacity that is."