Virat Kohli reveals untold story from the first-ever IPL match, sharing how pressure and Ishant Sharma’s sledging rattled him during their face-off at Eden Gardens.
April 9, 2025: In a candid revelation on Disney+ Hotstar’s 18 Calling 18, Virat Kohli opened up about a lesser-known moment from the very first match of the Indian Premier League back in 2008 — a fierce face-off with his Delhi teammate Ishant Sharma.
The now 36-year-old batting legend, who walked into a packed Eden Gardens as an 18-year-old fresh off a U-19 World Cup win, was carrying the weight of expectations as Royal Challengers Bangalore chased a daunting 223 set by Kolkata Knight Riders — courtesy of Brendon McCullum’s iconic 158*.
Reflecting on his first IPL outing, Kohli admitted that despite having faced Ishant plenty of times in the Delhi nets, that night felt different.
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“Ishant and I had played so much together, but that day I just couldn’t read him. He was bowling at another level,” Kohli said. “It wasn’t about his pace — it was the atmosphere, the pressure, the occasion. It made everything feel bigger than it was.”
Adding more spice to the story, Kohli revealed that Ishant sledged him relentlessly during that over. The pacer, fresh off his famous 2008 Australia tour performance — where he dismissed Ricky Ponting in Perth — was full of confidence, complete with a new hairstyle and swagger.
“He kept sledging. I remember saying to him, ‘Side mein aa, tereko batata hoon’ (Come aside, I’ll show you then),” Kohli laughed, recalling the banter with affection. “It was all fun and games, though. Just the IPL spirit kicking in.”
Kohli managed to score only 1 run off 5 balls before being dismissed by Ashok Dinda, and RCB went on to lose the match by 140 runs. However, that brief outing was the start of a record-breaking journey.
Fast forward to 2025, Kohli has now played 256 IPL matches, scoring 8,168 runs — the most by any batter in the league’s history. He also holds 65 fifty-plus scores, second only to David Warner (66).
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