NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli once again proved why he is one of cricket’s biggest match-winners, scoring an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL final in Ahmedabad. Chasing 156, Kohli guided the team home and finished the season with 675 runs. Head coach Andy Flower praised the veteran batter in a tribute video, saying, “Virat, I know you get a lot of attention and quite rightly. But I don’t want to downplay that, because you are a heartbeat in this dressing room.”Kohli gave RCB a strong start with a 62-run opening partnership alongside Venkatesh Iyer and later controlled the chase. He attacked fast bowler Kagiso Rabada early, striking two fours and a six to put Gujarat under pressure. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Kohli’s ability to shine in big matches, saying, “He relishes these situations, he looks forward to these situations where he can show how good a player he is. What kind of a temperament he has, the winning mindset that he has.”RCB’s success this season continued the momentum from their maiden IPL title last year. The team topped the league table and comfortably reached the final. Kohli’s popularity was evident as much of the crowd wore his famous No. 18 jersey. Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Kohli said, “I always say we don’t have seven home games, we probably have 14.” He added, “I mean, GT are probably the home side, but you see 90 percent of the guys are RCB fans. Their support is priceless.”Despite the title win, RCB decided against holding a public homecoming celebration. Last year’s victory parade ended in tragedy when a crowd crush outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed 11 lives. Remembering those fans, captain Rajat Patidar said, “Obviously, you feel bad — you lost your fans after winning the game. Not just fans, they are the family members. I always want to dedicate this trophy to them. I don’t have words to express that feeling.”
