India skipper Virat Kohli and former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers will auction their cricketing gears, including the bats with which they scored hundreds for Royal Challengers Bangalore during an IPL match in 2016, to raise funds for the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
The items to be auctioned also include their respective gloves and shirts from that particular game where both of them had scored centuries to power RCB to a challenging 248 for three against Gujarat Lions.
RCB had won the match by 144 runs.
"We had a few nice knocks together. There is a particular one in 2016 IPL against Gujarat Lions. I got 129 and you also got 100 right at the end, that doesn't happen always when two batters get 100s. It is a special memory for me," De Villiers said during an Instagram live chat.
"I was thinking how we can make a difference, that's why I told you to get hold of that bat from that game and I still got that shirt from that game, which I got you signed, I also signed my shirt. So I got my shirt and my bat, I gonna get hold of your bat, my bat, your gloves, my gloves. That's quite a big package.
"The plan is to get it on an online auction platform (bidorbuy.co.za). It could be a nice collector's item. We both can share a picture of that game. People can go and bid and all the proceeds can go for the COVID-19 cause both in India and South Africa, particularly, for the cause of getting meals on people's table. we can make it 50-50 and support the cause in memory of that day."
"I don't think I will be able to score that many runs in a single season. I have kept most of the things from that season. For this cause I will give anything away."
"Whenever people come back, when players comeback, there will be lot more energy ... it will drastically change the enjoying part of things, pure love for everything will come up in the surface."