Virat Kohli has described the mix of relief, disbelief and raw emotion that followed his first IPL championship last season, ending a long and demanding wait. As the long-time RCB captain and face of the franchise, Kohli finally saw the trophy slip into his hands after years of coming close.
Kohli’s association with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru dates back 19 seasons, and in that stretch the side reached the final on three separate occasions without lifting the title. Over the years, the team’s star power drew constant scrutiny and even online trolling, with critics pointing to the gap between big-name talent and championship delivery.
At a glance
- Virat Kohli says last season’s title win was emotionally difficult to explain.
- RCB had reached the IPL final three times before finally winning the trophy.
- Kohli’s long stint with the same franchise spans 19 seasons.
- The decisive moment came when Josh Hazlewood bowled the final ball of the title match against Punjab Kings.
- Kohli describes the pressure as something different to “observe” versus “live”.
- He highlighted AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle as overseas stars who left a major impact on RCB.
- Kohli reflected on how the feeling might have been different had he never won the IPL title before ending his career.
RCB’s history includes multiple eras with legendary and marquee international players donning the franchise colours. Kohli has been joined across different seasons by figures such as AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, KL Rahul, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Mitchell Starc and Rahul Dravid.
After 17 seasons filled with heartbreak and near misses, RCB finally broke through, delivering a title win that Kohli called “memorable” in how it will be remembered in the franchise’s story. For him, the finish was not just a result—it was a release of years of tension.
Kohli’s emotion was visible immediately after the final delivery in the summit clash against Punjab Kings. He dropped to his knees as Josh Hazlewood completed the last over, and the dressing room erupted in celebration, marking a historic moment for the franchise and its skipper.
Speaking on RCB’s podcast, Kohli said he still struggles to put into words what he felt during the final over’s last four balls. The way the chase and pressure converged in that closing spell made the moment feel uniquely intense for him.
He then turned to the wider narrative that has followed RCB for years—how the team has often been branded as “almost champions,” despite assembling squads packed with big names. Kohli acknowledged that expectations are built season after season, and that the weight of that label grows over time.
In his explanation, Kohli drew a sharp contrast between watching the franchise’s struggles from the outside and experiencing the pressure internally. He said that while it is one thing to observe how RCB is treated as a major side that never wins, it is a completely different thing to live through the build-up and the failures.
“There’s one thing to observe it and there’s one thing to live it,” Kohli said, describing how he has lived through those seasons himself. He framed the repeated pattern of coming close without crossing the line as the kind of pressure that accumulates into something heavier than most people realise.
Overseas icons and the franchise bond
Kohli also looked back at the overseas players who became closely associated with RCB. He pointed to AB de Villiers as an iconic figure in India after joining the franchise, stressing how supporters embraced him and how his influence on the team went beyond what could be described easily.
On Chris Gayle, Kohli highlighted the sudden transformation of the West Indies batter’s season. He explained that Gayle was at home and then was called in mid-season, after which his best form arrived quickly, changing the course of his time in Bangalore within a week—while also noting Gayle has always carried a soft spot for RCB.
Returning to the title itself, Kohli said the franchise and its fans have always formed a natural emotional link. He recalled how overwhelmed he was after the win, going down on his knees in gratitude and thanking fate for allowing him to experience the moment before his playing days ended.
He described it as a feeling that connected the team, the city and the supporters to something deeper than cricket alone. Kohli said the emotions he carried for years came out in a simple act—kneeling, holding his hands together and saying “thank you,” because he could experience the achievement while still playing.
Kohli also shared a candid thought on what might have happened emotionally if he had finished his IPL journey without ever winning the trophy with RCB. While he said he wouldn’t necessarily have continued regretting it, he suggested there would have been an unanswered question about what that moment would have felt like.
He added that the intensity of the feeling simply wouldn’t have matched what he experienced last season. Kohli concluded that if RCB had won in earlier years, it would have been far less than 5% of the emotions he felt after 18 years of pressure and accumulation—calling it, in his words, the best possible timing for his cricketing journey.
