Kohli dedicates IPL title to former Bengaluru team mates de Villiers, Gayle
Virat Kohli dedicated Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 17 seasons to his former teammates AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle and said the duo had given their heart and soul to make the franchise a success.
Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by six runs in the final in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Tuesday, a long-awaited title win which reduced 36-year-old Kohli to tears.
Kohli has been with the franchise since the inaugural 2008 edition of the league and helped them reach three previous finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016, losing all three.
Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batter De Villiers played for Bengaluru from 2011-2021 while ex-West Indies all-rounder Gayle represented them from 2011 to 2017, with both experiencing the heartache of lost finals beside Kohli.
"I've shared my prime years with them and I know how much we tried to win this and we felt we were so close couple of times," Kohli told broadcasters.
"We were such a good team and we had that explosiveness in our team but we could never cross the line and all of us have that hurt because we gave our prime years to this franchise and we really, really — from the bottom of our hearts — wanted to win that title for RCB.
"I promise you this feels like 10 times more special just because of the fact that these two are standing next to us."
De Villiers and Gayle joined the Bengaluru team on the podium to raise the trophy.
"The title is honestly as much theirs as it's mine because it's the connection you see when they come to Bengaluru," Kohli said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
India's Rahul signals top-order readiness with warm-up hundred
LONDON :KL Rahul's composed hundred in the ongoing second unofficial test against England Lions will bring much relief to the India team management ahead of the five-test series in England. Partnering with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the batting order, Rahul produced a chanceless knock of 116 in Northampton on a lively track in overcast conditions on Friday. India, under new captain Shubman Gill, have been left with gaping holes in their top order after opener Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli quit test cricket last month. While Rahul, who can bat practically anywhere in the lineup, is likely to succeed Rohit as Jaiswal's opening partner, either Gill or Karun Nair is likely to fill the void of Kohli at number four. Nair, who played the last of his six tests in 2017, smashed a double hundred in the first unofficial test in Canterbury. "We haven't really decided on the (batting order), we still have some time," Gill had said in his pre-departure press conference in Mumbai. "We will be playing an intra-squad match and we will be having a 10-day camp in London. So we still have a little bit of time and I think we can decide on the batting order once we go there." The five-test series begins in Leeds on June 20.
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
India, central Asian countries express interest in joint rare earths exploration
NEW DELHI – India and five central Asian countries have expressed interest in jointly exploring for rare earths and critical minerals, they said in a joint statement on June 6 after the fourth meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue. The announcement comes amid global alarm over China's decision to curb exports of rare earth alloys, mixtures and magnets, spooking industries ranging from automobiles and clean energy to defence. India and the central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – also called upon 'relevant authorities' for an early meeting of the India-Central Asia Rare Earth Forum, which last met in September. 'The ministers also encouraged exchange of delegations to explore new areas of cooperation in critical minerals,' the statement said, adding the sides agreed to hold their next meeting in 2026. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used in the creation of magnets that power motion for cars, cellphones, missiles and other electronics. China mines about 60 per cent of the world's rare earths and makes 90 per cent of rare earth magnets. Beijing, however, has announced export restrictions on these in April as part of its sweeping response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs. India is holding talks with companies to establish long-term stockpiles of rare earth magnets by offering fiscal incentives for domestic production, as it looks to reduce dependence on shipments from China. It also plans to launch incentives for recycling 24 critical minerals – a plan that is in the final stages of approval – as it looks to secure the minerals needed for green energy transition. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Indian police detain four after deadly cricket stampede
BENGALURU: Indian police Friday (Jun 6) detained four people including a senior executive at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after 11 fans were crushed to death during celebrations for the team's first IPL title. Hundreds of thousands packed the streets in the southern city of Bengaluru on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Virat Kohli and his RCB cricket team after they beat Punjab Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League. But the euphoria of the vast crowds ended in disaster with a stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the players were parading the trophy. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Friday he had directed police to arrest the representatives of RCB, event organisers DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association. Police brought Nikhil Sosale, a senior RCB official, and three other representatives of DNA before a judge in Bengaluru, an AFP journalist saw. All four were later arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody, broadcaster NDTV reported. Siddaramaiah had earlier said a first information report, which marks the start of a police investigation, had been "registered against them". The deaths have sparked widespread anger, and top police officers including the city's police commissioner have been suspended. Local media reported that the accusations include culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, among others. There was no immediate comment from RCB. 'Made to pay' Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, also pointed the finger at some senior police. "These officers appear to be irresponsible and negligent and it has been decided to suspend them," he said. The dead were aged between 14 and 29, and were among a sea of people who had poured onto the streets to catch a glimpse of their heroes. RCB offered financial aid of US$11,655 to each family of the victims, calling the deaths "unfortunate". Indian media have widely reported the team earned US$2.3 million in prize money alone for taking the title. Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said he was "at a loss for words" after the celebrations of a first IPL crown turned to tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident "absolutely heartrending". Siddaramaiah has said that the stadium had a capacity of 35,000 people "but 200,000-300,000 people came". Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian mass events, such as religious festivals, due to poor crowd management and safety lapses. "The grim truth is that the fan, who drives the commerce of every sport, is the last priority for administrators," The Hindu newspaper wrote in its editorial on Friday. "Asphyxia was the primary cause of death besides injuries suffered in the stifling rush," it added. The pioneering IPL sold its broadcast rights in 2022 for five seasons to global media giants for an eye-popping US$6.2 billion, putting it up amongst the highest-ranked sport leagues in cost-per-match terms. "The world's richest cricket tournament can't cut corners when it comes to fans' safety," the Indian Express newspaper wrote in an editorial.
