June 8, 2025
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'Virat Kohli waited only 18 years. Tendulkar's wait was even longer': Sehwag draws 2011 WC parallel with RCB's IPL title

‘Virat Kohli waited only 18 years. Tendulkar’s wait was even longer’: Sehwag draws 2011 WC parallel with RCB’s IPL title

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Jun 05, 2025 01:32 PM IST Virat Kohli’s 18-year wait for an IPL title ended on Tuesday night, and Sehwag drew a parallel of the victory with Sachin Tendulkar’s 2011 WC win. Virat Kohli’s long wait for an IPL trophy ended on Tuesday night when he lifted the title after Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated the Punjab Kings by six runs. The RCB star, who is the only player to have represented only one franchise since the inception of the league in 2008, faced three defeats in the final before eventually ending the trophy drought in Ahmedabad. Kohli was also the highest scorer in RCB’s innings in the final with 43 off 35 deliveries, and even as it wasn’t the most flamboyant knock, his stay helped RCB reach a strong score of 190/9 in 20 overs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli reacts while sitting beside the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match against Punjab Kings (AFP) Following RCB’s win, former India opener Virender Sehwag, who has shared the dressing room with Kohli in Team India and Delhi, lauded the RCB star, while also drawing an interesting parallel with Sachin Tendulkar. When asked about the “wait” that Kohli had to endure for a trophy, Sehwag cited that Tendulkar’s wait for an ODI World Cup trophy was even longer, and still, he never lost hope. “His (Kohli) wait to win the trophy for only 12 years. Sachin Tendulkar waited from 1989 till 2011. So, Kohli’s wait for lesser, and still even Sachin never lost hope. He had made up his mind, he would only bow out with a World Cup trophy in his hand,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz. Sehwag added that Kohli can be “relieved” and retire without regrets, whenever he makes the decision. “It’s the same for Virat Kohli. Now, he can be relieved. He can happily stop playing IPL whenever he wants to make that decision. A player plays to win the trophy. Money comes and goes, but winning trophies isn’t easy. And even as Kohli’s wait ended, he has still made a very strong contribution in their campaign,” added the former opener. Kohli’s campaign Kohli ended the 2025 season with 657 runs to his name in 15 matches, finishing as the season’s third-highest run-scorer. He averaged 54.75 while scoring with a strike rate of 144.71. He smashed eight half-centuries in the season. News / Cricket News / ‘Virat Kohli waited only 18 years. Tendulkar’s wait was even longer’: Sehwag draws 2011 WC parallel with RCB’s IPL title See Less

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'I saw a very different, angry Virat Kohli in Australia': Aussie legend's fresh theory adds fuel to Test retirement saga

‘I saw a very different, angry Virat Kohli in Australia’: Aussie legend’s fresh theory adds fuel to Test retirement saga

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It’s almost a month since Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. He has since won the IPL trophy with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and racked up over 600 runs in the season. Indian cricket seems to have moved on, too, with the BCCI announcing an 18-member squad for the tour of England. However, a discussion that continues to rage on is the circumstances behind his retirement. With Kohli still 36, the belief was that he would continue to play Tests at least for another couple of years, given his love for the format, which the world is aware of. Heck, even after winning the IPL after 18 long years, Kohli places this accomplishment of his ‘five levels below’ Test cricket. That’s how much he loves Test cricket. Virat Kohli’s retirement received a fresh twist(AP) So, why retire? After his poor returns in Australia – 191 runs from 9 innings – Kohli even turned up to play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. It clearly showed that he was keen to continue. So what exactly happened in two months’ time? As the conspiracy theories refuse to die down, former Australia captain Mark Taylor reveals he noticed something very unusual in Kohli when he was in Australia this time around, and that could well be a factor in the great man making up his mind. “Last year, I saw a different Virat Kohli [in Australia]. An angry one. And I have never seen an angry Virat Kohli. I have seen a very highly competitive Virat Kohli, and I love that about him. I always saw the gentleman. Last year I saw a different Virat Kohli and I said a month ago that it is time for him to retire. And he did. Because once you get angry, you’ve got to get out. And I think he realised that. If you start getting angry, you are gone,” Taylor said on the LiSTNR Sport podcast. Also Read: BCCI makes last-ditch request for Virat Kohli to reverse retirement, but with an RCB catch The one instance of Kohli being angry was during his last innings of the fifth Test in Sydney. Having nicked himself out caught behind for the eighth time, Kohli thudded his bat onto his pads and let out a huge scream. As it turns out, after this dismissal, Kohli kept saying ‘I am done’, which his teammates did not take seriously. Nonetheless, on a very practical note, more than the frustration, it was his vulnerability outside the off stump that may have cast doubts inside Kohli’s mind. For someone who took the bull of Test cricket by its horns, Kohli didn’t want to be a pale shadow of his former, once-dominating self. Mark Taylor’s meeting with Virat Kohli To prove this point, Taylor recalled another instance with Kohli, which showed just how much the man respected the format and held it in such high regard. “Like a lot of cricket fans, I was disappointed with Virat last year. Because I had always greatly admired Virat and was his fan. I was lucky enough to interview him many years ago when he first came out as captain at the Adelaide Oval (2014). We had a half-an-hour time slot. We had this big interview lined up. Cameras everywhere,” said Taylor. Also Read: Virat Kohli ‘wasn’t ready to give up Test cricket’, something happened in 2 weeks; ‘His relation with Gautam Gambhir…’ “And about 25 minutes into it, the PA system kicked in around the ground and made a hell of a noise. I had a handful of questions left – three or four – and we had to stop the interview. He sat there in his chair and the media manager came out and said ‘we got to get out of here’. Kohli got up and as did I to say goodbye. He looked at me and said ‘Mark, have you finished this interview?” And I said, no but I understand you might have to go. He said “No. We are going to finish this interview”. Now that was great respect to me but also to the game of Test match cricket. He talked in that interview about his love for Test cricket, looking forward to playing Australia. Beating Australia in Australia. That’s the pinnacle.” Kohli has yet to open up on his decision to retire from Test cricket. Barring the Instagram post he uploaded in the afternoon of May 12, which broke a million hearts, there isn’t much to know. Perhaps, with time, it will become clearer what his rationale was behind the decision. Until then… keep guessing.

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Beyond tragic: Tendulkar condoles Chinnaswamy stampede deaths

Beyond tragic: Tendulkar condoles Chinnaswamy stampede deaths

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Sachin Tendulkar. File | Photo Credit: PTI Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar has offered his condolences on the loss of 11 lives in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations, describing the incident as “beyond tragic”. Apart from 11 deaths, more than 30 were injured in a stampede outside the popular venue on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) during the victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL trophy win. “What happened at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, is beyond tragic. My heart goes out to every affected family. Wishing peace and strength to all,” Tendulkar wrote on ‘X’. What happened at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, is beyond tragic. My heart goes out to every affected family. Wishing peace and strength to all. 🙏 — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 4, 2025 Former South African and RCB batter AB de Villiers, who is immensely popular in Bengaluru, also expressed his sympathy for the victims. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the tragic events at the Chinnaswamy stadium today,” De Villiers wrote. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the tragic events at the Chinnaswamy stadium today. https://t.co/klmCQrjn6k — AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 4, 2025 Former Indian captain-cum-coach and a Bengaluru native, Anil Kumble termed the incident as a “sad day for cricket”. “It’s a Sad day for Cricket! My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives while celebrating RCB’s victory today. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. Tragic !!,” he wrote. It’s a Sad day for Cricket! My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives while celebrating RCB’s victory today. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. Tragic !! 💔💔 — Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) June 4, 2025 Yuvraj Singh added, “What was meant to be a moment of celebration turned into an unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the incident in #Bengaluru. “May the families find strength and the departed souls rest in peace.” What was meant to be a moment of celebration turned into an unimaginable tragedy. My heart goes out to everyone affected by the incident in #Bengaluru. May the families find strength and the departed souls rest in peace 🙏🏻 — Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 4, 2025 The incident was triggered by a heavy rush of people to join a hastily-arranged celebration for the franchise. The police and local administration were left overwhelmed by the lakhs who took to the streets to join the festivities at a stadium which can accommodate only 35,000 people. Published – June 05, 2025 12:58 pm IST

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Bengaluru stampede: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma return to Mumbai; tragedy overshadows RCB's IPL celebration | Cricket News

Bengaluru stampede: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma return to Mumbai; tragedy overshadows RCB’s IPL celebration | Cricket News

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Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma at the Mumbai airport. (Video grab) Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma returned to Mumbai on Thursday following the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL title celebrations that were marred by tragedy in Bengaluru. The couple was spotted at Mumbai airport, and visuals of their arrival quickly went viral on social media.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!RCB’s historic first-ever IPL title win — achieved with a thrilling six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the final on Tuesday in Ahmedabad — was meant to be a moment of joy. But the mood turned somber on Wednesday during the team’s homecoming event at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where a stampede claimed 11 lives and left over 30 others injured.WATCH:Tens of thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium to celebrate the team’s 18-year-long wait for glory. However, the crowd soon became unmanageable, and chaos ensued as fans pushed to enter the already packed venue, leading to a tragic crush at the gates.While the event inside the stadium did take place, it was cut short out of respect for the tragedy. Only RCB captain Rajat Patidar and Kohli addressed the crowd briefly, lifting the trophy to acknowledge the fans before the event ended. ‘A particularly special feeling’: Andy Flower hails Virat Kohli, RCB after historic title win Reacting to the heartbreaking incident, Kohli shared RCB’s official statement and wrote on Instagram: “At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted.”The RCB franchise also expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences to the bereaved families. What was supposed to be a celebration of triumph ended in mourning.

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Ponting reacts to Virat Kohli breaking down in tears during last over: 'CSK, MI have won IPL a few times. It's not easy'

Ponting reacts to Virat Kohli breaking down in tears during last over: ‘CSK, MI have won IPL a few times. It’s not easy’

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Jun 05, 2025 12:32 PM IST Virat Kohli ended a long wait for IPL title victory on Tuesday night, with RCB defeating Punjab Kings by 6 runs in the final. Ricky Ponting, head coach of Punjab Kings and one of the most respected voices in world cricket, offered a moving perspective on Virat Kohli’s emotional reaction following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long-awaited IPL title win. The legendary Australian said Kohli’s tears were a testament to the emotional and personal toll of chasing the elusive trophy for 18 seasons, and how much it means to players. Virat Kohli in tears after RCB won IPL 2025(PTI) Kohli, overwhelmed by emotion as RCB sealed a six-run win over Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday, dropped to his knees in tears. The image captured the end of a wait that spanned the entire history of the IPL; Kohli is the only player to have represented only one franchise since the first season of the tournament in 2008. “You can see in his eyes in that last over, he was shedding a tear, that’s what it means to players, that’s what it means to everyone,” Ponting told reporters after the final. “Chennai (Super Kings) have won it a few times, Mumbai (Indians) have won it a few times, but it’s not an easy tournament to win — it is as simple as that — and you have to think long and hard about that. It’s not easy to win this thing.” Ponting on Kohli’s ‘Test’ remark Ponting, who has played and won ICC World Cups and led dominant Australian teams across formats, used his own career to back Kohli’s honest admission that IPL glory still doesn’t match up to the pride of representing one’s country in Test cricket. Kohli stated in his post-match reaction that despite the IPL victory being one of the top-most moments of his career, it stands “five marks below Test cricket.” Ponting echoed Kohli’s reverence for the red-ball game. “I’m probably one of the biggest purists of the game still involved. Whether I’m coaching or commentating, my first love is Test match cricket, always will be.” “But I totally understand what he means… this is as close as I can get to playing a Test match again.” News / Cricket News / Ponting reacts to Virat Kohli breaking down in tears during last over: ‘CSK, MI have won IPL a few times. It’s not easy’ See Less

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Trump suspends foreign student entry at Harvard

Magnus Carlsen wanted to draw line in sand by beating D Gukesh: Viswanathan Anand

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Viswanathan Anand feels that Magnus Carlsen’s fiery reaction to his loss to D Gukesh stems from the fact that the World No.1’s authority in the game was challenged by someone younger to him. Anand said that Carlsen wanted to ‘draw a line in the sand’ by beating Gukesh and indicated that the FIDE could discuss about the incident soon. Carlsen was left visibly frustrated when he lost to Gukesh recently in the Norway Chess and the World No.1 reacted by slamming the table, which caused the pieces to get scattered before shouting ‘oh my god’ and exiting the arena in a hurry, as fans watched in shock. Speaking to PTI, Anand said that beating Gukesh mattered a lot to Carlsen as he wanted to establish that he was superior to the youngsters. “But it (beating Gukesh) mattered a lot to him. Even if all the other games he’s kind of going through emotions (here) But in this game (against Gukesh), I think something he wanted to establish. He wanted to draw some line in the sand and tell all these kids ‘hang on a few years’, whatever. But this meant a lot. I think a 2-0 (win against Gukesh) here, he would have been very, very happy,” said Anand. Anand said that losing the game from a dominant position further added fuel to Carlsen’s anger. “Against any opponent on earth, he would have hated losing such a good position. I mean to miss that the knight comes back. I felt exactly the same way when I blew my game against Magnus three years ago in 2022 in Norway,” said Anand. Anand also felt that factors like fatigue and the time control in Norway Chess could have been the reasons behind Carlsen’s outburst as well. “Certainly, the game meant a lot to him and he came close and he slipped, but it could also be fatigue. It could be this new time control (in Norway Chess). Here we have this thing where we have Classical chess and then we have a sudden-death Armageddon tie-break (after every game in the event of a draw)” he said. ‘A lot of stuff must have been going on in his head’ Anand said he had seen enough outbursts during his career to call the Carlsen incident an aberration. The former World Champion said that a lot of things may have gone on in Carlsen’s head at that time and would have lefd to the outburst. “Yes, (I’ve seen) enough anger. All this has been around for a while, people screaming and cursing. I think it was in Delhi (2000 World Championship), where after his game with (Estonia’s) Jaan Ehlvest, (Vassily) Ivanchuk threw a chair across. So, the only difference is the camera, not the incident. “And, the other thing I would say is that this (game between Gukesh and Carlsen) was very intense. I mean, maybe Magnus isn’t that excited about classical chess, but he’s certainly taken on Gukesh (in the format),” Anand said. “Or if not Gukesh personally the person who is now the world champion showing that he (Carlsen) can fight youngsters. I mean, a lot of stuff (was) probably going on in his head, and it came out. So, those two games (against Gukesh), he took very, very intensely and seriously. And that’s kind of partially what brought it (frustration) on.” Anand said that FIDE could look into the matter soon. “Laws means definitions. It gets tricky. I guess it will come up (in FIDE discussions), I think. But, you know, on the other hand, if you take someone like (American GM) Hikaru (Nakamura), he says, ‘let’s have more of it’ (Carlsen incident). It gets attention. So, we’ll have to balance these things out.” “But certainly, I think it will be discussed very soon,” added Anand. Published On: Jun 5, 2025 Tune In

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Bengaluru stampede: 'Sad day for cricket' - Cricket world mourns tragedy during RCB's IPL victory celebrations | Cricket News

Bengaluru stampede: ‘Sad day for cricket’ – Cricket world mourns tragedy during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations | Cricket News

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Fans near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo) What was meant to be a historic celebration turned into a day of mourning as a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday claimed 11 lives and injured over 30 others. The tragedy unfolded during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) homecoming celebration after their maiden IPL title win, ending an 18-year wait with a six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the final on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!As thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their heroes, the sheer volume overwhelmed security arrangements, triggering chaos and ultimately, tragedy.Cricketing legends and current players expressed their shock and grief over the incident. ‘A particularly special feeling’: Andy Flower hails Virat Kohli, RCB after historic title win India’s batting icon Sachin Tendulkar took to X, writing, “What happened at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, is beyond tragic. My heart goes out to every affected family. Wishing peace and strength to all.” Former India captain and legendary spinner Anil Kumble also shared his condolences: “It’s a sad day for cricket! My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives while celebrating RCB’s victory today. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. Tragic!!” Other cricketers including Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh among others also shared their thoughts on the tragedy. Police resorted to mild force to control the situation, but the sheer number of people overwhelmed efforts. What began as jubilation for RCB’s long-awaited title turned into an unforgettable heartbreak for the city and its cricketing faithful.The incident has sparked calls for better crowd control and safety measures during public celebrations.

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