Virat Kohli turns into a kid the moment he spots Ravi Shastri, runs and jumps into his arms in pure joy after IPL win
At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, 17 years of agony, hope, collapse and comeback finally met closure. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, so often the 'heartbreak kids' of the Indian Premier League, clutched glory in a six-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final, and right at the centre of it stood Virat Kohli, unburdened at last.
Kohli was emotional as soon as RCB were mathematically assured of the win. He sunk to his knees after the final delivery, and was embraced by all of his teammates soon after. The celebrations ran into the night and following the post-match presentation, a heartwarming video featuring Kohli and former India head coach Ravi Shastri went viral online.
Kohli ran playfully and jumped into Shastri, with the two sharing a long embrace. The duo goes a long way, with Kohli and Shastri forming a terrific combo as captain and head coach, respectively, for Team India between 2017 and 2021. Shastri also patted Kohli's head as the latter eventually hugged him.
The duo's close bond endured long after Shastri's departure from the Indian team. Shastri recently revealed that he had an in-depth conversation with Kohli following the batter's unexpected Test retirement last month.
'This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team,' Kohli had said during his interview with Matthew Hayden following the win, voice heavy with emotion. 'It's been 18 long years. I've given this team my youth, prime and experience… to finally have it is unbelievable.'
For Kohli, who joined RCB as a fiery teenager after winning the U19 World Cup in 2008, this wasn't just a title but a closure of sorts. He had played three IPL finals before, all ending in defeat. On Tuesday, he ensured it would not slip again. His 43 off 35 wasn't a usual flamboyant knock one expects from Kohli, but it steadied RCB to 190/9, a total their bowlers clung to.
PBKS could only reach 184/7 in return despite Shashank Singh's last over blitz, where he hammered Josh Hazlewood for 22 runs. 'I never thought this day would come,' Kohli admitted. 'I was overcome with emotion after the last ball. I gave every ounce of my energy.'
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