Why is Captain Rohit and Young Gill cheaper than number 18?

Lucknow: Rampal, 58, is a labourer from Hardoai. He is in Lucknow. The match between India and England at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Sunday is an opportunity to earn some quick money for him.

He is selling Indian team jerseys outside gate number two. 

"Kal se main 200 t-shirts baich chuka hoon or isme aadhi sey jayda Virat Kohli ke 18 number wali thi. {I have sold out around 200 shirts since yesterday, and half of them were Virat Kohli’s 18 number shirts}", he said.

Like other venues, Kohli is also in demand in Lucknow, and he has a high price tag compared to other teammates.

"Yesterday, I sold Virat’s shirts for Rs 400. Today I have reduced it to Rs 350. Most of the people asked for his 18-number T-shirt. So I bought 2 thousand 18-number T-shirts,” Rampal told NewsDrum on Saturday. 

"The Gill [Shubhman] 77 number shirt is also a big hit, but people are not willing to pay much compared to Kohli. It is for 200 rupees. Rohit’s shirt, I can give you 150 rupees,” he added.

Rampal is not alone in selling Virat as a brand outside the stadium.

"The Kohli 18 number T-shirt is in big demand," said Prabha Devi, who is also selling T-shirts outside the stadium. “Buyers don’t argue or negotiate on price for 18-number T-shirts. But they don’t want to pay much for Rohit or Gill.”

As Kohli is in high demand, the invisible vendors who manufacture these T-shirts have adopted a clever trick. They produced T-shirts with Kohli’s name on the back with collars, but others have round-neck ones. This trick also raised the price of 18 number shirts.

Virat has an emotional value of 18.

Kohli’s father died on December 18, 2006, after suffering a heart attack. The India batting star also debuted in the ODI on August 18, 2008, in Dambula against Sri Lanka.

Virat is playing exceptionally awesome cricket in the ongoing ICC men’s cricket World Cup.

"I don't know about the 49th, but I know about the record-breaking 50th. Kohli will slam his 50th ODI century against South Africa at the Eden Gardens, and what better occasion than his birthday?” batting legend Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.

"It's a sight when you slam a ton there because the Kolkata crowd gives you a standing ovation and cheers for you; the air is filled with whistles and claps. It is a moment to savour for every batter," said Gavaskar.