'Tonight, I'm Going To Sleep Like A Baby. I Mean, What Is Done For This Franchise.. ' Virat Kholi Speaks From The Heart

After playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru for eighteen years, Virat Kohli finally takes home an IPL trophy. He joined RCB at the beginning of the league. In IPL history, Kohli has scored the most runs. He was RCB’s leader from 2011 until 2022.

For Royal Challenges Bangalore supporters, Virat Kholi’s jersey number 18 represents more than simply a number; it represents emotions for RCB fans.

In the grand finale in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings by six runs, ending their 18-year IPL title drought, and Virat Kohli was in tears. After Josh Hazlewood bowled the game’s last delivery, which Shashank Singh hit for six, Kohli lost it. Kohli, fighting to contain his tears, fell to the ground as the ball reached the boundary. The whole RCB squad ran over to give him a passionate group hug. Jitesh Sharma, Rajat Patidar, and Krunal Pandya were among those who rushed in to commemorate the momentous occasion.

Following his victory in the IPL 2025, Kholi says a few things about RCB. Kholi says,”This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team.It’s been 18 long years.
I’ve given this team my youth, my prime, and my experience and I’ve tried to win this every season that I come, and I give it everything I have and to finally have this moment come, it’s an unbelievable feeling.

He added, “I never thought this day would come.I was overcome with emotions as soon as the last ball was balled in.This means so much to me. I’ve just, as I said, given each and every ounce of my energy to the team, and finally having won the IPL, it’s an amazing feeling”.

Kholi says,”Well, it’s right up there, if I have to be honest.As I said, I’ve given everything that I had for the last 18 years. I’ve stayed loyal to the team, no matter what.I’ve had moments where I thought otherwise, but I stuck to the team.I stood behind them. They stood behind me and I always dreamt of winning it with them and this is far more special than winning it with anyone else.Because my heart is with Bangalore.My soul is with Bangalore and as I said, this is the team I’m going to play for till the last day that I play the IPL.So this one is absolutely right up there.Because you know, as a sportsman when you grind for something, and this is a very high intensity, high quality tournament,which is of great value in World cricket today. I’m someone that wants to win the big tournaments, the big moments and this one was missing and tonight, I’m going to speak sleep like a baby.I mean, what is done for this franchise is absolutely tremendous and I told him(Ab de villiers,Chris Gayle) that before the game as well.This one is as much yours as it is ours. I want you to celebrate with us when we live that trophy by the end of the night.Because what he’s done for RCB is so very special.He’s still got maximum number of man of the match awards and he’s been retired four years now. So that tells you the impact he’s had on the league, on the team,on me as a person, our friendship. what he means to the people of Bangalore, to this team, to this franchise is something that I can’t describe in words. So as I said, he deserves to be on that podium with all of us lifting that cup tonight”.

This IPL title victory was the culmination of a long and difficult journey for Kohli, who had been the face of RCB since 2008, enduring the highs and lows of 2009, 2011, and 2016, as well as the highs and near-misses that tried his fortitude. He returned year after year with the same fervor and determination, filled with the hope that this day would come. The achievement is all the more significant because Kohli has only played for one team in all 18 IPL editions, and despite his steady performances, the team had consistently failed, attracting constant criticism from both fans and critics.

The iconic picture of the evening was Kohli standing close to the boundary line, hands on his head, eyes full of tears, on that dramatic night in Ahmedabad: a guy who had sacrificed everything for a franchise, finally rewarded.