Emotional memories of Virat Kohli: "The journey of 18 years flashed before my eyes… waiting for the last balls was the hardest!"

Bengaluru: Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli, while describing the emotional moment of Royal Challengers Bangalore winning their first long-awaited title in the Indian Premier League, said that waiting for the last balls was the hardest part of that night.

Recalling those moments, Kohli said, “The entire journey of the last 18 years is flashing before my eyes. Overall, it was a great night for all of us. To be honest, it was quite surreal for me, when everything was finally happening, it felt unbelievable. A lot of things flashed before my eyes. The entire journey of the last 18 years. All the ups and downs, all the good moments, bad moments.” That was the hardest part of the night.”

This experienced batsman emphasized that this victory had special meaning for those who have been a part of the RCB team since the beginning. He recalled his long association with the franchise along with support staff members like Ramesh Mane. He said, “It was a very special night for all of us at RCB. I have been here since day one and so has Ramesh Mane. We are probably the oldest members of the RCB group. When we reached the final, I felt a quiet confidence. But you also understand that it is not going to be an easy task. It is a final and there is another team that has played really well to get there.”

Kohli said that the scars of earlier defeats in the league played an important role in shaping the team’s mindset, which helped them remain focused even under pressure.

He said, “The chances in the past almost slipped away from us. When we reached the final but could not win. Looking at that, I think that history gave us extra motivation to maintain our composure. Especially that last over, when you know the win is certain. The only hope was that Josh does not bowl a ‘no ball’ which he usually never does. There was a lot of confidence, but still you hope for a great result. The last few Waiting for the balls was probably the hardest part of the night.”