"Ten times more special" Virat dedicates RCB's maiden IPL trophy to de Villiers, Gayle
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 4 (ANI): Virat Kohli, who brought delight to millions of people across the globe after playing his part in steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to its maiden IPL trophy, gave fans another reason to smile after dedicating their historic title win to the two franchise stalwarts AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.
RCB etched its name into the history books by deflating Punjab Kings' hopes of lifting the trophy in the final of the 18th season of the cash-rich league.
Gaye and de Vliiers watched the famous moment on the sidelines and celebrated the special success story with their former compatriot and long-time friend Virat.
After the destructive trio reunited, Virat, who struggled to hide away his emotions, reminisced about the good old days when they put in everything they had on the field in their prime years. In 2016, they came close but couldn't get past the finishing line.
'I have spent my prime years with them. I know how much we tried to win this. We were so close a couple of times, and we were such a good team; we had the explosiveness in our team, but we could never cross the line. We gave our prime years to this franchise,' Virat said while speaking to the broadcasters after the final.
Bengaluru churned out the blueprint for lifting the trophy after posting 190/9 on the board. RCB bowlers hunted in packs, took wickets at regular intervals, and conjured a six-run victory to take the coveted title home.
For the teary-eyed Virat, the presence of his former teammates made the moment '10 times more special'. The trophy that belonged to the franchise's beloved star, 'equally', belonged to Gayle and de Villiers.
'I promise you this feels 10 times more special because these two are standing next to me. Honestly, it is as much theirs as it is mine. When you come to Bengaluru, it is not just me; when they come, people love them and they go absolutely berserk. They know, and they appreciate that they have given their heart and soul to this team till the time they played here. These two guys have given their everything, so it is equally theirs, too,' he added.
The former South African dynamic batter is RCB's second-highest run-scorer of all time, with 4,522 runs in 157 matches and 145 innings at an average of 41.10, including two centuries and 37 half-centuries. His runs came at an impressive strike rate of 158.33.
For RCB from 2011-17, Gayle effortlessly toppled down records, scored 3,163 runs in 85 matches and 84 innings at an average of 43.33, with a strike rate of 152.73. He scored five centuries and 19 fifties, with the best score of 175*. (ANI)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
RCB Victory Parade Stampede Causes Internet Storm
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government's celebratory zeal turned into a tragic nightmare as a stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 victory parade claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others near M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Congress-led administration, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is now under intense scrutiny for its alleged insensitivity and negligence, with netizens and opposition leaders alike slamming the government for prioritising political mileage over public safety. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many holding the government directly responsible for the preventable tragedy. RCB's first IPL title win in 18 years was a historic moment for fans, culminating in a victory over Punjab Kings by 6 runs on June 3. The Karnataka government which was seen eager to bask in the glory of Bengaluru's triumph, rushed to organise a victory parade within 12 hours of the win. It is a stark contrast to other IPL teams like KKR, MI, and CSK, which held their parades 2-3 days later with proper planning, and the Indian T20 World Cup team, which waited 5 days. The parade, which began at Vidhana Soudha and was meant to culminate at Chinnaswamy Stadium, drew an estimated 2-3 lakh fans, far exceeding the stadium's capacity of 35,000. The situation spiralled out of control when a small gate at the stadium was breached, leading to a deadly stampede. The outrage on social media has been palpable, with netizens demanding accountability from the Congress government. The opposition BJP has also seized the opportunity to criticise the government, with leaders like Amit Malviya labeling the incident as a result of "lack of basic administrative foresight" and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy calling it "unforgivable." The government's response has done little to quell public anger. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced Rs. 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and ordered a magisterial inquiry, but his statement, "Over two to three lakh people gathered. No one expected such a crowd," has been met with disbelief. Critics argue that such a turnout was entirely predictable given RCB's massive fanbase and the significance of the win. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar apologised for the overcrowding and cancelled the procession, but his earlier presence at the airport to greet the players has been cited as evidence of the government's attempt to politicise the event. The RCB victory parade stampede has exposed deep flaws in the Karnataka government's approach to public safety, with netizens and opposition leaders united in their demand for justice. The 11 lives lost and 33 injuries sustained are not seen as mere statistics but is a stark reminder of the cost of political insensitivity. For RCB fans, what should have been a moment of triumph has been overshadowed by tragedy, leaving a bitter taste in the wake of their long-awaited victory. The Congress-led Karnataka government now faces a reckoning, as Bengaluru mourns and the nation watches, demanding that such a preventable disaster never happens again.
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium: Poor Crowd Management Blamed for Injuries
Bengaluru: A festive event meant to honour the RCB team took a grim turn at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, as stampede-like scenes unfolded on Wednesday evening, reportedly injuring over 40 people. The chaos, now under public scrutiny, was allegedly triggered by administrative missteps of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which chose to keep all 21 entry gates of the stadium closed until 4:30 PM. According to preliminary reports from government sources, the late gate opening led to a sudden, unmanageable rush as nearly three lakh people had gathered around the stadium by then—many under the impression that entry would be free. Earlier in the day, news about a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium had been widely shared by media outlets. KSCA had arranged a ceremonial felicitation at the grand steps of the State Assembly, and in anticipation, approximately 1.5 lakh people had gathered there, while an estimated three lakh assembled near the stadium. The confusion worsened due to the lack of official updates. Fans, many of whom were unaware that entry tickets were being distributed via a private app called 'Ticket Genie', assumed that public access was open and began making their way toward the stadium en masse. When KSCA finally opened around 8 to 10 gates shortly after 4:30 PM, a surge of waiting fans rushed toward the entry points. At Gate 12, a drain slab on the pavement collapsed under pressure, causing dozens to fall. This triggered a wave of panic. The crowd began spilling toward other gates, leading to more pushing and trampling. Women and children were particularly vulnerable during the crush. Eyewitnesses and observers say the situation spiralled because only selected gates were opened without prior warning or queue management. The sudden move caused simultaneous surges at multiple points. Police, overwhelmed and under-equipped, found themselves unable to distinguish between ticket holders and general crowds. A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, said, 'Had the entry been regulated from 1 PM with only ticket holders allowed inside in a queue system, this chaos could have been avoided.' On regular match days, crowds of up to 50,000 are safely managed through such systems. However, for this celebration, none of those protocols were followed. Another key failure was inadequate deployment of police and crowd control personnel. The 1.5 km stretch between Vidhana Soudha and the stadium was flooded with 4–5 lakh people, yet the security detail was insufficient—especially the number of women police officers, which left women and children exposed to serious risk. The aftermath has sparked public outrage, with questions being raised about the accountability of both KSCA and the Bengaluru city police. With no official apology or explanation issued at the time of reporting, victims and civil society are now demanding answers—and better systems to prevent such human rights lapses in future mass gatherings.
India Today
29 minutes ago
- India Today
India could become third largest economy in the world this year: Borge Brende
54:43 The big talking point of this episode of News Today is Bengaluru stampede that resulted in 11 fatalities during the RCB victory celebration on Wednesday.
