Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers shared an anecdote involving Virat Kohli, where he was told to not use "Ee Sala Cup Namde", the team's famous slogan, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
De Villiers revealed that he received a message from Kohli regarding not using Ee Sala Cup Namde, a Kannada phrase meaning "This year, the cup is ours." It is a hopeful chant that the RCB fans have rallied behind for 17 seasons despite no championship wins.
He shared the incident with a grin on the Star Sports Press Room show, saying,
"I honestly, said those words the other day and I got a direct message from Virat, and he said, please just stop doing that now. So I got into a bit of trouble. But to be fair, I am exhausted saying it all the time, that the trophy is coming this season. Guys, it is the IPL, 10 world-class teams could possibly even win a World Cup, never mind the IPL. It is an incredibly difficult tournament to win."
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I Will Be There to Lift That Trophy: AB De Villiers
De Villiers remains hopeful of winning the title, tying RCB’s fortunes to the symbolic number 18 - Kohli’s jersey number and the season’s edition. He also stated that he will be there to lift the IPL 2025 trophy with Kohli if RCB manage to win it this time.
"There are so many factors that play a role from travelling, different teams, different strategies, and injuries. So many things change throughout the season, but it is the team that manages to find a way to keep that fuel in the tank for the back end of the tournament that generally comes out on top. The teams that make their home advantage count, we see them come out on top. So I hope that this is the year, the 18th season, number 18 on the back. I will be there to lift that trophy with Virat if it happens," he added.
De Villiers, a South African legend, was a cornerstone of RCB from 2011 to 2021, hammering 4,522 runs in 157 matches at a strike rate of 158.33, including two centuries and 37 fifties. His partnership with Kohli electrified fans, though the IPL crown remained elusive.
The Bengaluru-based franchise came close to winning the trophy last year but lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator. They will start their 2025 season versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on March 22.
Also read: IPL 2025: Virat Kohli names the toughest bowler he has faced
