‘Things you dream about… you want to make a winning run’: Virat Kohli reveals lifelong last IPL wish

NEW DELHI: For almost two decades, Virat Kohli lived and breathed Royal Challengers Bengaluru. On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, he finally got to experience the moment he had imagined countless times.After smashing a match-winning six to seal RCB’s second IPL title and complete a successful title defense against Gujarat Titans, Kohli revealed that completing the chase itself had long been a personal dream.“The things you dream about. I thought about this moment many times, I wanted to hit the winning run,” Kohli said after his unbeaten 75 guided RCB to a five-wicket win at the Narendra Modi Stadium.The innings was vintage Kohli – controlled, aggressive and decisive. It also represented the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, which he achieved in just 25 balls.A dream finish on the biggest stageKohli admitted he felt unusually calm despite the pressure of the title chase.“I felt really relaxed when I came on. The team we have gives you the confidence to handle any situation. They knew exactly what to do in the chase,” he said.The former RCB skipper set the tone early alongside Venkatesh Iyer, with the pair helping Bengaluru register the fastest team fifty in IPL finals history.“I told Venky that we have to kill the game in the power play. It was absolutely clear,” 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 forced him to adapt.“The demand is like that, the super young players push you up. I had to change my mindset, not so much the game, take the bowlers and get more runs,” he said.A championship team, not a one-man showPerhaps the most satisfying aspect of the triumph for Kohli was the strength of the team around him.“We’ve had to wait so long and then just to have a group of guys where you don’t feel like you’re the only one who has to play for the team is amazing,” he said.Kohli praised the contributions of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya and Rasikh Salam Dar and called RCB a complete side. The great batsman also highlighted RCB’s consistency throughout the season.“A big situation has come, you need the big boys to step up. But I knew we had a champion side,” he added. “We got to the top of the table, there’s a reason why we got here first. If we stick to our cricket and execute our plans, we’re the best team in the competition.”As chants rang out through the stadium, Kohli reserved special praise for the fans.“We have 14 home games, not seven. We have a constant crowd behind us. Ninety percent of the fans were on our side even though it was GT’s home ground,” he said.