NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s 18-year-long wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title finally came to an emotional end on Tuesday night, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) edged past Punjab Kings by six runs in a pulsating final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kohli, who has been the face of the franchise since its inception in 2008, top-scored with 43 off 35 balls in the final — a crucial knock in RCB’s maiden title win.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!As Kohli lifted the IPL trophy for the first time in his storied career, tributes poured in from all quarters. Among the most heartfelt was one from Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group. Taking to social media platform X, Mahindra wrote: “Loyalty like this doesn’t just win titles — it carves legacies.”Who’s that IPL player?
The industrialist’s tribute underlined Kohli’s unwavering commitment to RCB over nearly two decades. “For 18 years, Virat Kohli gave his heart to a team that had never touched the trophy. Waiting for the light of that dawn. And now, at last, the stars have answered his faith,” Mahindra added.Quoting poet Rabindranath Tagore, he started his post, writing: “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”
Kohli, who joined RCB as a teenager after leading India to the U-19 World Cup title in 2008, has seen three previous IPL finals slip away — in 2009, 2011, and 2016. Despite stepping down as captain in 2021, Kohli remained RCB’s emotional and batting anchor. His record-breaking 973 runs in the 2016 season still stand unmatched.