Virat Kohli was in tears as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally lifted the IPL title, ending an 18-year-long wait. The thrilling six-run win over Punjab Kings in the grand finale in Ahmedabad on Tuesday gave a happy ending to one of the most touching stories of the IPL. As soon as Josh Hazlewood bowled the last ball and Shashank Singh smashed it for a six, He fell to his knees on the field, trying to hold back his emotions. The entire RCB team rushed to him, and players like Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya, and Jitesh Sharma hugged him to celebrate the historic moment.
This victory was the end of a long and difficult journey for Kohli. Since 2008, Kohli has been the face of RCB, going through close chances and many disappointing defeats in 2009, 2011, and 2016. Every year, he returned with the same passion and hope that maybe this year would be his. This victory is also special because he has represented only RCB in all 18 seasons of the IPL. Despite his brilliant innings, the team failed time and again, and he had to face trolling from fans and critics.
When Virat Kohli got emotional
On that glorious night in Ahmedabad, Kohli stood near the boundary line, hands on his head, eyes brimming with tears. The scene told the story of that evening—a man who gave everything for his franchise finally got his reward. Amid the celebrations, former RCB stars AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle also came on the field and joined the joy by hugging Kohli. Virat also called his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, to the field so that she could be a part of this historic moment when RCB finally lifted the IPL trophy.
In the final, Kohli’s crucial knock of 43 runs off 35 balls helped RCB post a challenging total of 190/9 in 20 overs. The bowling unit defended the score, with Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and others picking up crucial wickets.
Punjab Kings finished the innings at 184/7 despite Shashank Singh’s brilliant 61, falling six runs short of victory. The win is the first IPL title for Virat Kohli, who has been with RCB since 2008 and has lost the final three times before.
Also Read: The wait is over, RCB won the IPL title, defeating Punjab in the final
