New Delhi: For nearly two decades, Virat Kohli has lived and breathed the Royal Challengers in Bengaluru. On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, he finally witnessed a moment he had imagined countless times.After smashing six winners to clinch RCB’s second Indian Premier League title and completing a successful title defense against the Gujarat Titans, Kohli revealed that ending the chase himself had long been a personal dream.
“The things you dream of. I’ve thought about this moment many times, I want to get the series win,” Kohli said after his unbeaten 75 guided RCB to a five-wicket win at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The innings was classic Kohli – controlled, aggressive and decisive.
He also marked the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, hitting just 25 balls.The dream of ending up on the biggest stageKohli admitted he felt unusually calm despite the pressure of competing for the title.“I felt really comfortable coming in. The team we have gives me the confidence to overcome any situation. They knew exactly what to do in the chase,” he said.The former RCB captain had set the tone early alongside Venkatesh Iyer, as the duo helped Bengaluru register the fastest fifty in IPL final history.
“I told Venky that we need to finish the game in the powerplay. There was complete clarity,” Kohli revealed.Even at 37 years old, the batsman continues to evolve. Asked about his 25-ball 25, Kohli explained how the rise of brave young cricketers has forced him to adapt.“That’s the demand, the super young players make you up the ante. I had to change my mentality, not my game so much, take on the bowlers and get the extra runs,” he said.
A champion team, not a one man showPerhaps the most satisfying aspect of Kohli’s victory was the strength of the team around him.“We’ve had to wait a long time and then to have a group of players where you don’t feel like you’re the only guy who has to step up for the team, which is amazing,” he said.Kohli praised the contributions of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya and Raseekh Salam Dar, describing RCB as a complete side. The batting great also highlighted RCB’s consistency throughout the season.He added: “In big situations, you need big players to step up. But I knew we had a champion team.” “We are top of the standings, there is a reason we got here first. If we stick to our cricket and execute our plans, we will be the best team in the competition.”As the chants echoed throughout the stadium, Kohli paid special tribute to the fans.He said, “We have 14 home matches, not seven. We have fans who support us all the time. 90% of the fans were on our side despite it being the GT Stadium ground.”
