The owner of the Lucknow Super Giants franchise in the Indian Premier League, Sanjiv Goenka, hailed the fans who were present at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, who paid tribute to Virat Kohli despite the game between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders being washed out on Saturday. Goenka shared a heartfelt post on X (formerly known as Twitter) appreciating the fanbase for turning up in numbers and wearing whites in tribute to the batting icon. Kohli had announced a few days before that he had retired from Test cricket, which came as a shock to many. The LSG owner’s post read,” Truly heartening to see fans turn up in whites to honour @imVkohli’s remarkable Test legacy. A simple yet powerful tribute to a player who has inspired a generation and elevated the stature of red-ball cricket in India”. Truly heartening to see fans turn up in whites to honour @imVkohli’s remarkable Test legacy. A simple yet powerful tribute to a player who has inspired a generation and elevated the stature of red-ball cricket in India. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/XG2aBwCBNO — Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) May 17, 2025 The match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was Kohli’s first appearance since he shocked the cricketing world by announcing his sudden retirement from red-ball cricket on May 12, during the break in the tournament caused by India-Pakistan border tensions. Despite incessant showers present in Bengaluru, that did not stop the fans who have often been loyal to the franchise and Kohli as well, who has played for the same franchise throughout his IPL career despite the lows. The franchise is a certified contender for the IPL title and will fancy their chances this year under the leadership of Rajat Patidar. They are now one step closer to the playoff stages after taking a point in the washed-out clash. The washout has significant consequences on the IPL 2025 points table. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) moved up to the top with 17 points from 12 matches, overtaking Gujarat Titans (16 points from 11) and Punjab Kings (15 from 11), though both Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings will still have a game in hand. The fans will have one more chance to pay tribute to the legendary batter in RCB’s penultimate game in the league stages as they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, which will be followed by the game against LSG in Lucknow as well. (with IANS Inputs)