Virat Kohli rated his Indian Premier League (IPL) triumph on top of his career after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings in the final on Tuesday to lift their maiden silverware in 18 years. Having dominated throughout the tournament, RCB once again asserted their supremacy in the knockout stages over Punjab Kings.
After they defeated the Shreyas Iyer-led side in Qualifier 1, RCB repeated the same when it mattered the most at the Narendra Modi Stadium, leaving the likes of Virat Kohli in tears.
Just like RCB, it was also Kohli’s first IPL trophy in 18 years. Following the win, Kohli was asked by former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden on where he would rate this win after having two World Cups (ODI and T20I) and Champions Trophy.
“Well, it’s right up there, if I have to be honest. As I said, I’ve given everything that I had for the last 18 years. I’ve stayed loyal to this team, no matter what. I’ve had moments where I thought otherwise, but I stuck to this team. I stood behind them, they stood behind me. And I always dreamt of winning it with them,” Kohli said.
Having made his senior debut in 2008, Kohli has won the ODI World Cup (2011), T20 World Cup (2024) and the Champions Trophy twice in (2013 and 2025). However, he didn’t win the World Test Championship in two attempts before calling time on his red-ball career.
“And this is far more special than winning it with anyone else because my heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore. And as I said, this is the team I’m going to play for till the last day that I play the IPL. So this one is absolutely right up there because you know, as a sportsman, when you grind for something, and this is a very high intensity, high quality tournament, which is of great value in world cricket today,” he added.
Virat Kohli wants ABD to celebrate with RCB
Meanwhile, Kohli also wanted former RCB teammate and Hall of famer AB de Villiers to celebrate with them in the same podium. De Villiers has been a stalwart for RCB and been a pillar for the franchise.
“What ABD has done for the franchise is tremendous, told him ‘this win is as much yours as it is ours. I want you to celebrate with us’. He’s been the POTM most times in the franchise despite being retired for four years. Tells you the impact he’s had on the league, team and me. He deserves to be on the podium, lifting the cup,” he said.
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