Aggression has long been the emotion most synonymous with Virat Kohli. The wild celebrations, fist pumps, chest-thumping, energetic high-fives, and euphoric roars — these are all trademarks of Kohli, and all were expected when Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally ended their 18-year wait with a maiden IPL title. But for the man who gave his entire career to one franchise, whose “heart and soul belong to Bengaluru”, the moment overwhelmed him — he buried his face in his palms, eyes filled with tears.
There was a hint of impatience on Kohli’s face as he fielded near the boundary ropes, with each ball and the shifting equation only adding to the intensity. He could barely contain himself. Having waited his whole career for this moment — coming close thrice before, once as captain — the emotional burden was indescribable.
Even his usual crowd-whipping gestures were missing. This was a Kohli flooded with emotion, on the verge of tears, as he signaled to his former RCB teammate AB de Villiers — waiting near the ropes, ready to celebrate — that he just wanted it to be over.
“What was special was having him right at the boundary line in the last two overs. And I told him, I’m going to go, like it’s too much to take. And then, when Hazlewood bowled that second ball, and it didn’t go for six, they needed five sixes. I was gone. And I know how I’ve held back the tears for the last three balls of that innings. But they know how it feels,” he told Star Sports in the presence of De Villiers and another former RCB players Chris Gayle.
‘This feels like 10 times more special’
Kohli also reflected on the long struggle to win the title despite leading one of the most “explosive” line-ups alongside de Villiers and Chris Gayle. The 36-year-old said Tuesday’s triumph against Punjab Kings felt far more meaningful because his old teammates were there to witness it.
“Why it’s so special to share it with these two is because I shared my prime years with them. We tried so hard to win this,” he said. “We felt we were close a few times — we had such a strong team, that explosiveness — but we never crossed the line. All of us had that hurt because we gave our best years to this franchise. From the bottom of our hearts, we wanted to win this for RCB.
“And I promise you, this feels 10 times more special because these two are standing next to me. It’s honestly as much theirs as it is mine.”
Kohli praised the bond the trio shares with RCB fans, noting that de Villiers and Gayle remain beloved in Bengaluru.
“When they come to Bangalore, you see how much people love them. The crowd goes absolutely berserk — because they know and appreciate how much they gave for this team. They deserve it as much as I do,” Kohli said. “I know people are emotional and may get carried away, but these two gave it everything. It’s equally theirs.”