NEW DELHI: For nearly two decades, Virat Kohli has lived and breathed Royal Challengers Bengaluru. On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, he finally experienced a moment he had imagined countless times.After smashing the winning six to seal RCB’s second IPL title and complete a successful title defence against Gujarat Titans, Kohli revealed that finishing the chase himself had long been a personal dream.“Stuff you dream of. Thought of this moment many times, wanting to hit the winning run,” Kohli said after his unbeaten 75 guided RCB to a five-wicket victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The innings was vintage Kohli — controlled, aggressive and decisive. It also featured the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, reached in just 25 balls.Dream finish on the biggest stageKohli admitted he felt unusually calm despite the pressure of a title chase.“I felt really relaxed coming in. The team we have gives confidence to see any kind of situation through. Knew exactly what to do in the chase,” he said.The former RCB captain had set the tone early alongside Venkatesh Iyer, with the pair helping Bengaluru record the fastest team fifty in IPL final history.“I told Venky we need to kill the game in the powerplay. There was total clarity,” Kohli revealed.Even at 37, the batting superstar continues to evolve. Asked about his 25-ball fifty, Kohli explained how the rise of fearless young cricketers has forced him to adapt.“Such is the demand, super young players are pushing you to up the ante. I had to change my mindset, not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs,” he said.A champion team, not a one-man showPerhaps the most satisfying aspect of the triumph for Kohli was the strength of the squad around him.“We’ve had to wait for so long and then just to have a group of guys where you don’t feel that you are the only guy who has to step up for the team is amazing,” he said.Kohli praised the contributions of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya and Rasikh Salam Dar, calling RCB a complete side. The batting great also highlighted RCB’s consistency throughout the season.“Come the big situation, you need the big boys to step up. But I knew we have a champion side,” he added. “We topped the table, there’s a reason why we got here first. If we stick to our cricket and execute our plans, we are the best team in the competition.”As chants echoed around the stadium, Kohli reserved special praise for the fans.“We have 14 home games, not seven. We have fans behind us all the time. Ninety percent fans were on our side despite it being GT’s home ground,” he said.
