Virat Kohli: Can The Famous 'Number 18' Win The Elusive Title In 18Th Season Of The IPL?

As the cricket world gears up for Saturday's opener between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League, everyone is anxious to see how the 10 franchises will perform after last year's mega auction in Saudi Arabia brought massive changes to the teams.

So much so that even Shreyas Iyer, who led Kolkata Knight Riders last year to their first title since 2014, will be captaining Punjab Kings this year, hoping to make history by becoming the first player to lift back-to-back trophies with two different teams.

Every auction changes the teams, but the mega auction, which takes place every three years with franchises getting to retain only a limited number of players, gives a new look to the teams.

This change has been constant in cricket's most famous T20 tournament. But what hasn't changed since the first edition in 2008 is Virat Kohli, one of India's greatest cricketing heroes, wearing the colours of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

There have been a few players who have featured for only one IPL team in their careers, but nobody has played for the same team for so long.

Now, in the 18th season of the league, Kohli, the man who wears the number 18 jersey for both RCB and India, will be hoping to win the first IPL title for his team.

The perennial underachievers came close to lifting the trophy thrice (2009, 2011 and 2016) only to falter in the final hurdles.

This is a big season for the team under new captain Rajat Patidar and Kohli. The 36-year-old is at a crossroads, having rejuvenated himself with a couple of outstanding knocks in India's triumphant Champions Trophy campaign after the horror show in the Australian Test series.

"It's pretty much come down to just the pure joy, enjoyment, competitive streak and love for the game. And as long as that is there, I will continue to play," Kohli said.

"As of now, everything is fine. I still love playing the game."

The RCB fans will hope that their talisman, who topped the scoring chart last year with 741 runs, finds the old spark in his batting.

The league this year will also see teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the Rajasthan Royals paid $130,500 for the 13-year-old batter in the mega auction.

It will also be intriguing to see how the Mumbai Indians fans welcome Hardik Pandya after the Indian all-rounder was booed at home matches last year for replacing crowd favourite Rohit Sharma.

So, buckle up for another exciting season which could produce riveting battles between the bat and the ball.

And if the Kohli-inspired RCB finally go on to win that elusive trophy on May 25, Bengaluru will party all night long.

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