Bengaluru: Virat Kohli reflected on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL triumph and described the moment as the culmination of an 18-year journey with the franchise.
“It was a very special evening for all of us at RCB. I have been here since day one and so has Ramesh Mane (team masseur and caretaker). We are probably the oldest members of the RCB group,” Kohli said.
Ahead of the title clash against the Punjab Kings, Kohli said that the team went into the final with quiet confidence.
“When we got to the final I felt a sense of quiet confidence. But you also understand that it’s not going to be a walk in the park. It’s a final and there’s another team that played really well to get there. Obviously they’ve beaten a lot of good teams too so they’re also very confident in what they want to achieve.”
Kohli added that the team’s history of near misses was an added motivation to hold their nerve.
“Given the history of near misses and the moments in the past where we got to the final and couldn’t win. I think that gave us extra motivation to hold our nerve. With the league having become so much more competitive, we must have played some really good cricket to get to the final. That’s not a coincidence, it’s not a coincidence. We’ve beaten some really good teams and we’re a great team. Who deserve to be here on this day.”
Reflecting on the final moments of the game, Kohli said the emotions of the journey came back.
“All in all, it was a great evening for all of us. To be honest, it was quite surreal for me, quite unbelievable, to see it all unfolding at the end. So many things flashed before your eyes. The whole journey over 18 years. All the ups and downs, all the good moments, all the bad moments. It’s like the accumulation of it all is playing out in front of you and it’s going to happen in the next ten minutes. It’s a very difficult thing.” Explain it. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
He also spoke about the tension in the final as the result drew closer.
“Especially the last over, where you know the game is over. I hope Josh doesn’t bowl a no-ball, which he never does. The confidence was pretty high, but like I said, you’re still hoping for the perfect score. Knowing the game is out of their hands and then waiting for the last three balls was probably the hardest part of the night.”
