Bengaluru, March 23 Virat Kohli reflected on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's maiden IPL triumph and said that the history of near misses had given the team extra motivation to hold their nerve in the final. He described the moment of lifting the trophy as the culmination of an 18-year journey with the franchise.
RCB beat Punjab Kings in the summit clash last season to lift their maiden IPL trophy, which marked the end of a prolonged 18-year wait.
"It was a very special night for all of us at RCB. I have been here since day one, along with Ramesh Mane (team masseur and caretaker). We are probably the oldest members of the RCB group," Kohli said.
Reflecting on the lead-up to the title clash against Punjab Kings, Kohli said the team entered the final with quiet confidence.
"When we reached the finals, I felt a sense of calm confidence. But you also understand it's not going to be a walk in the park. It's a final, and there is another team that has played really well to get there. Obviously, they have also beaten a lot of good sides, so they are also very confident of what they want to do," he added.
Kohli also said that the team's history of near misses served as additional motivation to hold their nerve.
"Given the history of near misses and the almost moments of the past where we reached the finals and we couldn't win, I think that gave us extra motivation to hold our nerve. Because the league has become so much more competitive, we must have played really good cricket to get to the finals. It's not a fluke; it's not by chance. We have beaten some really good teams, and we are an amazing team who have earned the right to be here on this day," he said.
Reflecting on the final moments of the match, Kohli said the emotions of the journey came rushing back.
"All in all, it was an amazing night for all of us. It was quite surreal for me honestly, quite unbelievable when it was all unfolding in the end. So many things flashed in front of your eyes. The whole journey for 18 years. All the ups and downs, all the good moments, bad moments. It's like the accumulation of all of that is unfolding in front of you, and that is what is going to happen in the next ten minutes. It's a very difficult thing to explain. It's a thing to experience. And that experience I will never ever forget," he added.
He also spoke about the tension in the final over as the result drew closer. "Especially the last over where you know the game is sealed. Hoping that Josh doesn't bowl a no-ball, which he never does. There was quite confidence, but still, as I said, you are hoping for the perfect result. So, knowing that the game is beyond them and then to wait for those last three balls was probably the toughest part of the night," he concluded.
Kohli will be stepping into his 19th IPL season this year and will be hoping to extend his brilliant tally to another glistening chapter. With 8661 runs from 267 matches, Kohli leads the scoring charts in the Indian Premier League. He has smashed eight centuries and 63 half-centuries so far.