Tears to Triumph: Virat Kohli’s emotional IPL coronation after waiting for 18 years. Cricket news

Timesofindia.com in ahmedabad After Josh Hazlewood bowled the second dot of the final over, Virat Kohli’s face appeared on the big screen at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He was seen wiping tears with his eyes. The moment the last ball was bowled, he fell on his knees, and emotions were swept away.He was gathered by his current RCB team colleagues. Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, his former RCB companions with whom he lost the final in 2016, was there to hug them. His biggest supporter, wife Anushka Sharma, was to live this moment. In another emotional video, he jumps and embraces former India coach Ravi Shastri.Go beyond the border with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!From the beginning of the day, it felt as if it was written in stars. There was a sea of ​​jersey number 18 entering the stadium. The mantras of “Virat, Virat” and “RCB, RCB” were easily heard from a distance. The crowd was unilateral. He was happy for every RCB Seema, six, and wickets – but when Kohli was rejected, he fell silent.Who is that IPL player?When he fell to the ground after the last ball, the first person to reach him was a cameraman – who probably had only one task: to catch his feelings.Virat usually wears his heart on his sleeve. The general post-vicin thunder was there, but after winning the IPL-the trophy that he chased for 18 years was missing. It was a festival in a subdivision from Kohli. Probably because he never believed that this day would come. He also accepted the same.

“I never thought that the day would come,” he told the broadcasters after the match.“It has been 18 long years. I have given this team my youth, my prime and my experience. I have tried to win every season that I have played, and I have given everything that I have. Finally to come this moment – this is an incredible feeling. ,The last few years were not kind to Virat. He was going through a poor form, self-doubt, criticism and mental health conflicts. He abandoned captaincy in all three formats including IPL. And it seemed that Kohli was disappearing, as many sports icons.But he fought his demons. He produced one of the greatest T20i knock against P in MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup. While T20 was never considered his construction, 50 overs cricket has always been his domain-where he has ruled the highest rule. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where, from the heart, the dream was shattered at the site.Still, he picked up himself. He was asked to open with Rohit Sharma before the 2024 T20 World Cup. He struggled through most tournaments, only to score a stunning 76 in the final against South Africa in Barbados. He then won the 2025 Champions Trophy and added another wing to his hat.Kohli shocked the cricket world by announcing his retirement from Test cricket – the format he loved the most.Even after winning the IPL after so many years, he did not consider it anywhere near his achievements in Test cricket.He told Matthew Hayden after the match, “This moment is with the best moments in my career, but it is still below five levels from Test cricket. I like it and gives importance to the format.”“I will just urge the youth coming to respect that format. If you perform in Test cricket, you can roam anywhere in the world, and people will look at you in the eyes, shake their hands, and say, ‘Well done, you played really good game.’ If you want to earn respect globally, take Test cricket, give it your heart and soul – and when you get out of the other side, you must have earned the honor of the cricket world and legends like you.,

Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting echoed Kohli’s feelings.He told reporters, “I am probably one of the biggest purists still involved in the game, whether I am coaching or commenting. My first love is Test cricket – always has been.”“I fully understand what Virat means. He had a great test career, and a better white ball career that is still going on. I am not sure how much he is a celebrity, but I think he will celebrate tonight and the next few days,” Ponting said.Now, at the end with 18 years of waiting and away from the monkey RCB’s back, the question is: Will we see a major RCB in the coming years now? And Virat Kohli is still scoring runs for fun, this is a dangerous sign for all other teams.Therefore, fasten your seatbelt – because as Virat said, his heart and soul are with Bangalore. Apparently this means that it has not yet been done, and the all-time is coming for the greater.