"It's been 18 long years," an emotional Kohli, still with bloodshot eyes, told the broadcasters.
No matter which team prevails at the 132,000-capacity venue in Ahmedabad it will be a first -- neither Punjab nor Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the IPL since it launched in 2008.
The IPL will resume on Saturday after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following days of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Bangladesh left-arm pacer, who went unsold in the IPL auction earlier this year, finds himself back in the league following unforeseen changes in team compositions due to the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict.
“The war has stopped. In this new situation, BCCI office bearers, officials, and the IPL governing council will meet tomorrow (Sunday) to discuss the best way forward,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla stated in an interview with PTI Videos.
Cricket officials decided to pause the T20 tournament after a match on Thursday was abandoned in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the town of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier.
Chasing 158 for victory, Bengaluru were propelled by a 103-run second-wicket stand between Kohli, who made an unbeaten 73, and Padikkal to reach their target with seven balls to spare at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.
Punjab Kings bowlers steamrolled through the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting order to secure a five-wicket victory in a rain-reduced IPL match on Friday.
Left-arm quick Starc kept Rajasthan down to 188-4 in response to Delhi's 188-5 and then returned to bowl another disciplined over at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Amidst the familiar faces of Indian captains, Pat Cummins stood out as the only overseas leader in IPL 2025.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders appointed veteran top order batter Ajinkya Rahane as their captain for this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.
The 18th edition of the IPL runs from March 22 to May 25.
Kolkata's iconic Eden Gardens will be the venue for the opener and the final on May 25 with 74 matches to be played across 13 venues in the 18th edition of the hugely popular T20 tournament.
Mahela Jayawardene has been re-appointed as the head coach of the Mumbai Indians after spending the last two years as the franchise's global head of cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) team said on Sunday.
Former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid has been appointed Rajasthan Royals' head coach on a multi-year contract ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the IPL franchise said on Friday.
