Virat Kohli's Blunt Test Cricket Remark After Winning IPL Final Stumps All
Virat Kohli could not hold back his tears after winning the IPL for the first time in 18 attempts but the Test cricket devotee in him didn't lose the perspective that the format played in whites played with a red ball still ranks five notches above the T20 version of the game. Having announced his retirement from Test cricket last month, Kohli was ecstatic but said nothing is more satisfying than excelling in the traditional format.
"You know, this moment is right up there with the best moments I've had in my career. But it still marks five levels under Test cricket. That's how much I value Test cricket. And that's how much I love Test cricket," Kohli told the broadcaster moments after the six-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL final. For him, the youngsters need to respect Test cricket.
"So I would just urge the youngsters coming through, to treat that format with respect. Because if you perform in Test cricket, you walk around anywhere in the world, people look you in the eye and shake your hand and say, well done, you played the game really well.
"So if you want to earn respect in World cricket all over, take up Test cricket, give your heart and soul to it," added Kohli, who has been the biggest promoter of Test cricket over the past 10 years.
As the fireworks lit up the Ahmedabad sky and tears rolled down Virat Kohli's face, two of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's senior-most pacers — Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar — stood tall, reflecting on a historic night that ended RCB's 18-year wait for an IPL trophy.
'It means everything to Kohli,' Hazlewood said after the final. 'To be there from the start and get the result tonight will bring out a lot of emotion.'
The Australian fast bowler, who returned to RCB this season after injury layoffs, hailed the tactical execution from the bowling unit. 'I think 190 was a good score, the wicket was up and down. It may have gotten better in the second innings. Everyone chipped in,' he added. 'Coming back? Absolutely, won't get a better experience than this.'
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the silent workhorse in the final overs, underlined the importance of reading the surface early.
'We knew the wicket would not be easy, and 190 would not be easy. It was 10 more than we thought,' he said, before praising the tactical brilliance of Krunal Pandya, whose 4-0-17-2 spell in the middle overs broke Punjab's momentum.
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