RCB icons Virat Kohli, AB De Wellers and Chris Gayle (Picture: X)
Virat Kohli He opened up about his deep emotional bond with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, explaining how the franchise not only shaped his own cricketing journey but also helped global stars. AB de Villiers And Chris Gayle Became a celebrity among Indian fans.Speaking on a podcast with RCB, Kohli reflected on the emotional impact RCB had on the players over the years and why finally winning the IPL title after 18 seasons felt uniquely special. Kohli said the franchise has always had an innate ability to connect with players and push them beyond just performance on the field. According to him, AB de Villiers became a beloved icon in India largely because of the love and support he received while representing RCB.“I mean, it’s impressive, right? AB became an icon in India when he started playing for us, how the fans embraced him, how they loved him, what he did for the team was beyond words, the impact he had. Very organically, things fell into place with Chris as well. He was sitting at home, it is called mid-season, the season of his life. Within a week of his arrival in Bangalore, his life has completely changed. So our franchise, our city, our team, our fans, has been about inspiring people in a very natural way,” said Virat Kohli. He admitted that he personally experienced the impact more than anyone else during his 18-year association with the franchise, which culminated in a long-awaited IPL title win last season. Kohli described the emotional scenes after the win, when he fell to his knees in tears, as a moment of gratitude rather than relief.“I felt that probably had more impact than anyone over the 18 years, until last year we won the trophy. And I think all those emotions, all those feelings came out in just being on my knees and just holding my hands and saying, thank you, that I could experience before I stopped playing,” Kohli revealed.The batting superstar added that the 18-year wait made the title triumph even more meaningful. He said the emotional weight of years of pressure, expectations and heartbreak made the final victory incomparable to anything he would have felt if RCB had won the trophy earlier in their journey.“I can definitely say, with all honesty and clarity, that it wouldn’t have been 5% of the feeling that I wanted in the first years, and all that stress and all that pressure building up. And for this to happen 18 years later, I couldn’t have had a better experience in my cricketing journey,” Kohli concluded.
