New Delhi: For nearly two decades, Virat Kohli has lived and breathed Royal Challengers Bangalore. On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, he finally experienced a moment he had imagined countless times.After hitting the winning six to seal RCB’s second IPL title and complete a successful title defense against Gujarat Titans, Kohli revealed that ending the chase had been a personal dream for a long time.“The things you dream about. I thought about that moment so many times, wanted to win,” Kohli said after his unbeaten 75 led RCB to a five-wicket win at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The innings was vintage Kohli — controlled, aggressive and decisive. It also marked the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, completed in just 25 balls.A dream come true on the biggest stageKohli admitted that he feels unusually calm despite the pressure of the title chase.“I felt very comfortable coming in. The team we trusted could see any situation. He knew exactly what to do in the chase,” he said.The former RCB skipper set the tone along with Venkatesh Iyer, the pair helped Bengaluru record the fastest team fifty in the history of the IPL final.“I told Venky that we need to finish the game in the powerplay. There was complete 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.“It’s demanding, super young players pushing you forward. I had to change my mindset, not so much my game, take on the bowlers and get extra runs,” he said.A champion team, not a one-man show.Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the victory for Kohli was the strength of the squad around him.“To have to wait this long and then just have a group of guys where you don’t feel like you’re the only guy who has to step up for the team is amazing,” he said.Kohli hailed the contributions of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya and Rasheed Salam Dar and described RCB as a complete side. The brilliant batting also highlighted RCB’s consistency throughout the season.“In big situations, you need big guys. But I knew we had a champion team,” he added. “We finished top of the table, that’s one of the reasons we got here first. If we stick to our cricket and stick to 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,” he said. Our fans are behind us all the time. Despite being GT’s home ground, ninety percent of the fans were with us.
