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NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
No. 18 Meets Destiny On Year 18 Of IPL: Virat Kohli Ends 90,08,640-Minute Wait For Glory
11.20 pm. The chiselled, sweat-glistened face of Virat Kohli was filled with impatience. The maiden IPL title for him and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru was a good over away. He was desperate for that famous Kohli run — fingers pointed heavenwards with a wide grin plastered across the face. 11.25 pm: Josh Hazlewood successfully defended 29 runs in the 20th over. But all Kohli could do was to hide his face in his palms with tear-filled eyes and baulk. Teammates soon enveloped him as their endearing No. 18 met his destiny after 18 years. Was it the credit-rolling moment of an extraordinary relationship between a player and franchise that lasted 18 years through mind boggling highs and heartbreaking lows? It's a weird thought at this moment of personal and collective glory. But it could not be avoided as the journey came to its much-desired full circle. The first chapter of the Kohli and the RCB series began in 2008, and it has transformed into a long-drawn TV drama like the 'Young and Restless". Kohli was young and restless 18 years back — an irreverent, chubby South Delhi dandy who just wanted to take on the whole wide world in pursuit of victory. An anomaly in the dressing room that then contained Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis etc.. But RCB trusted Kohli, and their former owner Vijay Mallya, a horse lover, let him be his own and allowed him time to mature into a thoroughbred. Perhaps, he fitted seamlessly into the upmarket and bold image of the franchise. It was a soap opera. But the relationship took a new turn in 2011. The Royal Challengers trusted a 22-year-old with the leadership role. Many 22-year-olds could have wilted in the high-pressure environment, but not this 22-year-old. An innate love for camera, headlines, and the will to fight and learn helped him embrace the job wholeheartedly. Kohli was in the hot seat for 12 years and 143 matches, and he remained firm there too even when the team failed to bag a trophy. Gradually, he established a close connection with Bengalureans. His charisma was a big factor in turning the city dwellers into RCB faithfuls. It wasn't an instant link like the one Chennai established with MS Dhoni, but it was more slow brewing like the maturing of a top of the line wine. That was partially because Dhoni came to the Super Kings as India's T20 World Cup 2007 winning captain, and he was already a national icon, a success symbol of youthfulness. Kohli too had led India to the 2008 U19 World Cup by the time the inaugural season of the IPL began, but the Indian cricketing world was not yet ready to accept Kohli as a young prodigy. It took them some time to see the genius of Kohli, but even then Kohli was famous but was not loved. However, he remained a persuasive conversational centrepiece. Kohli was at the forefront of his club's PR pushes, its face on the social media, he reiterated the inner synergy he feels to the red and gold jersey. In fact, Kohli was a magnificent distraction for RCB fans from their lack of trophy triumph until now. A driven individual, it does not need any second guessing to realise that Kohli felt the hurt seeing a bare cupboard even as two rival Southern clubs added trophies. The Super Kings marched to a record five titles and Sunrisers Hyderabad and Deccan Chargers jointly bagged two. Mumbai Indians under his revered comrade Rohit Sharma too clinched five titles. But Kohli never showed the angst in public or never thought of severing his ties with RCB. In fact, he always underlined his closeness to the outfit. 'In terms of desires, everything is okay. But being with RCB is never going to go away. For me, what's more valuable is the relationship and the mutual respect that has been created over so many years. 'The love that I have received from the fans, I don't think any silverware or any trophy can come close to that,' Kohli had told RCB podcast last month. But he would have dreamt of holding that trophy aloft one day, and it came on a sweat-drenched Ahmedabad night. The finest showman of this decade of cricket, the lead guitarist of the IPL and T20s stood crowned. Nothing else mattered more on this emotional moment.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
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.'
India Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Watch: Virat Kohli leaps into Ravi Shastri's arms in pure joy as long IPL wait ends
Virat Kohli leapt into Ravi Shastri's arms in sheer joy after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally clinched their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, beating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, June emotional celebration reflected the weight of the moment - a wait that began in 2008 when he joined RCB following India's U19 World Cup triumph in the win, Kohli ran towards Shastri and embraced him in a heartfelt hug. The two share a long-standing bond, having worked together during Shastri's tenure as India's head coach and Kohli's captaincy stint. Also Read: Virat Kohli in tears after RCB's 18-year-old wait for IPL title endsShastri's time with the Indian team ended after the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where India exited in the group stage. Kohli also stepped down as India's T20I captain soon the video here From wild boy to wise man and Ravi Shastri witnessed it all In that hug, years of rage, love, scars and sacrifice meltedThat wasn't just Virat Kohli hugging his coach that was a son returning home finally whole Ria (@dreamyloom) June 3, 2025advertisement'18 long years' Reflecting on the triumph, Kohli spoke about his journey with RCB and how he poured everything into the team across 18 IPL seasons.'This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It's been 18 long years. I've given this team my youth, prime and experience. I've tried to win it every season, gave it everything I have. To finally have it is an unbelievable feeling,' Kohli said. 'Never thought this day would come, I was overcome with emotion after the last ball was bowled. Gave each and every ounce of my energy and it's an amazing feeling,' Kohli added. Kohli played a crucial role in the final, scoring 43 off 35 balls with three boundaries. His steady knock helped RCB post 190 for 9, before their bowlers held their nerve to restrict PBKS to 184 for InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
NDTV
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"What Anushka Sharma Has Gone Through...": Virat Kohli On Wife After RCB Win First IPL Title
It was a dream come true for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as the side lifted its first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy on Tuesday night. RCB registered a six-run win over Punjab Kings in the final match of the 2025 edition. Virat Kohli, the man who has been playing for the franchise since the inaugural season in 2008, finally managed to lift the trophy for the side. Needless to say that it was an extremely emotional moment for Virat Kohli as he waited for 18 seasons to clinch the glory. This was RCB's fourth final appearance in their quest for a maiden title. They lost the summit clashes in IPL 2009, 2011 and 2016 before finally getting their hands on the coveted trophy. After the victory, Kohli thanked his wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma for playing a crucial role in his life. "Professionally you understand the amount of things that go behind the scenes and what they go through as well. What Anushka has gone through emotionally; watching me being down and out, her coming to games, being so connected to Bengaluru. She is a Bengaluru girl as well and being connected to RCB. She is going to be so-so proud," said Kohli. Kohli had led India to the 2008 U19 World Cup by the time the inaugural season of the IPL began, but the Indian cricketing world was not yet ready to accept Kohli as a young prodigy. It took them some time to see the genius of Kohli, but even then Kohli was famous but was not loved. However, he remained a persuasive conversational centrepiece. Kohli was at the forefront of his club's PR pushes, its face on the social media, he reiterated the inner synergy he feels to the red and gold jersey. In fact, Kohli was a magnificent distraction for RCB fans from their lack of trophy triumph until now. A driven individual, it does not need any second guessing to realise that Kohli felt the hurt seeing a bare cupboard even as two rival Southern clubs added trophies. The Super Kings marched to a record five titles and Sunrisers Hyderabad and Deccan Chargers jointly bagged two. Mumbai Indians under his revered comrade Rohit Sharma too clinched five titles. But Kohli never showed the angst in public or never thought of severing his ties with RCB. In fact, he always underlined his closeness to the outfit. But he would have dreamt of holding that trophy aloft one day, and it came on a sweat-drenched Ahmedabad night.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Shubman Gill: The 'Prince' of Indian cricket is ready to take charge in whites
Shubman Gill: From an U19 wonder kid to leading India Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel When the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) named Shubman Gill as India's new Test captain for the upcoming five-match series against England, it was a clear signal of the beginning of a new just 25, Gill, often called the 'Price' of Indian cricket, is stepping into big shoes during a transition phase for the rise to captaincy comes as India bids goodbye to senior players like Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli and Ravichandran the field, Gill's numbers speak for themselves. Since his Test debut against Australia in 2020, he has scored nearly 1,900 runs with five centuries. He also leads the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and holds the top spot as India's number one ODI batter. His calm, focused style and solid technique make him a natural batter made headlines during the 2017-18 U19 World Cup, when he top scored for India with 372 runs at an average of 112. He also slammed a match-winning century against Pakistan in the semi-final. Gill was the vice-captain of the team that went on to lift the grew from strength to strength from that point and in 2020, made his inevitable Test debut in the big Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. He opened the innings and made 45 and an unbeaten 35 as India beat Australia by eight wickets. He went on to play a crucial role in the final Test of the series, scoring 93 runs to help India chase 328 runs on the final day and clinch a historic consistent performances, especially in the ODI format, Gill has been touted to carry Indian batting after Kohli, who had himself followed the footsteps of Sachin ability to play a wide variety of strokes and dominate bowling lineups has never been in question. He has also displayed great leadership qualities with Gujarat Titans so far, which played a role in his elevation to the Test captaincy to succeed played a captain's knock of 93 this week to secure a place in the playoffs for Gujarat, who were IPL champions in their 2022 debut season."I have talked about this a couple of times, when I'm batting, I want to play and think as a batsman, not as a captain. At the back end last season I learnt that," said Gill, who is leading GT for the second now steps into the big shoes. Rohit Sharma won 12 of his 24 Tests as skipper and his predecessor Kohli was India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins from 68 matches in legend Sunil Gavaskar had already identified Gill's leadership credentials and competitive instinct ahead of his appointment."It would take a couple of years to get to the level of our 'super captains'," said Gavaskar."Gill seems the most competitive. When there's a close call, he's quick to question the umpire. He's very involved in the game."With a strong technique and ability to hit the big shots, Gill scored a Twenty20 hundred to become the fifth Indian batsman to record centuries across all three formats in Indian captain has played 32 Tests, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05 with five hundreds. Not the best of the numbers for someone of his caliber with question marks over his record outside India. In his 13 overseas Tests, Gill's average is only 29.50. However, the load of captaincy does not seem to take over Gill's batting at least in the IPL.
