Virat Kohli took center stage as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's dream of a maiden IPL title by became a reality after 18 long years at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June 3.. All eyes were on the No 18 as he fell to his knees and was overcome with emotion as he finally got his hands on the elusive IPL crown. However, his tears quickly turned unbridled joy as he paced around the pitch in celebration.
The former India and RCB skipper turned heads as he leapt into the arms of former India coach Ravi Shastri after their six-run victory over Punjab Kings. The emotional celebration marked the end of RCB's long wait for an IPL trophy, a journey that began when Kohli joined the team in 2008.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Kohli's embrace with Shastri highlighted their strong relationship from their time together with the Indian national team, where Shastri served as head coach during Kohli's captaincy. Shastri's tenure as India's coach concluded after the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where India was eliminated in the group stage. Kohli subsequently stepped down as India's T20I captain and also relinquished the RCB captaincy.
Reacting to the win, Kohli said, "This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It's been 18 long years. I've given this team my youth, prime and experience. I've tried to win it every season, gave it everything I have. To finally have it is an unbelievable feeling."
"Never thought this day would come, I was overcome with emotion after the last ball was bowled. Gave each and every ounce of my energy and it's an amazing feeling," Kohli added.
RCB claimed victory after successfully defending a total of 190, a score that was lower in comparison to the high-scoring fixtures that have taken place in Ahmedabad. Despite Kohli's slow start to the match, his 43 from 35 balls proved to be instrumental in the win.
Who's that IPL player?RCB's bowlers successfully defended the total, restricting Punjab Kings to 184 for 7, thanks to the magic spells of Krunal Pandya (2/17) and the efforts of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal.
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