After 19 years, Virat Kohli is living his dream: hitting match-winning runs in the IPL final

Virat Kohli has finally realized a long awaited dream. Yes, Virat Kohli, the man who has won almost every major honor available in cricket. But on May 31, playing his second Indian Premier League final in two years, Kohli made sure he had a moment he would cherish for the rest of his life.

Kohli battled cramp in the middle stage of his innings on a balmy evening at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But he dealt with the discomfort in gladiatorial fashion and ensured he was put in a position to hit the winning runs, with a beautiful six over long-on. Virat Kohli celebrates RCB’s IPL win. (Photo by Reuters)

VIRT KOHLI’S MS DHONI MOMENT

The moment was reminiscent of MS Dhoni’s iconic ‘finishes in style’ moment from the 2011 World Cup final, except this time it came in the Indian Premier League, a tournament where Kohli has remained loyal to a single franchise for 19 long years. Despite all the years of ridicule and disappointment of Royal Challengers Bengaluru falling short repeatedly, Kohli remained committed to the cause.

Of late, in Kohli’s career, it has often felt as if cricket has repaid him for the unwavering service he has given to the sport. In 2024, Kohli was India’s best batsman in the T20 World Cup triumph on a tricky surface in Barbados. He repeated the feat in 2026, this time chasing 156 in another high-pressure final on a pitch that was not exactly easy.

Speaking after the match, that sense of gratitude seemed to glint in Kohli’s eyes as he reflected on the moment.

“It’s the thing you dream about. I’ve thought about this moment many times that if we win the IPL, I should be standing there after hitting the winning runs. Today it was possible,” Kohli told Ravi Shastri in the post-match presentation while receiving the Player of the Match award.

“We felt really relaxed coming into the match and we were really confident with how we wanted to go with our cricket and the type of team we have. That gives you the confidence to see any situation out there. I felt really comfortable out there chasing, I knew exactly what I had to do,” Kohli added.

YOUNG IPL STARS THAT MAKE ME BETTER: KOHLI

The final culminated another remarkable season for Kohli. He became the first player in IPL history to score more than 600 runs in four consecutive seasons. Significantly, two of those four seasons have now ended with the title.

In the 2026 edition of the tournament, Kohli scored 675 runs at a strike rate of 166, the highest strike tally in his IPL career. It was perhaps the clearest sign yet of how he has evolved his game to keep pace with a format that is constantly changing rapidly.

Kohli credited the younger generation of players entering the IPL for forcing him to rethink aspects of his batting.

“You have these super young players who keep pushing you and really make you change your game and up the ante.

“It’s an exciting situation because it gives you something to improve on, to work on. I take a lot of pride in improving myself and trying to figure out areas where I can improve.”

“It was just about adapting to the demands of the modern game where you need those 20 or 30 extra runs. I had to change my mindset, not so much my game. I had to play those shots more often and go against the bowlers, probably the best bowlers in the opposition’s attack. That was always my aim,” concluded Kohli.

With the win, Kohli and RCB achieved one of the rarest feats in IPL history. They have successfully defended their title in what is widely regarded as one of the most competitive franchise leagues in world cricket.

Thus, RCB joined Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as teams to win back-to-back IPL titles. Given the depth and balance of their current squad, they also appear to be well positioned for next season.

But for Kohli, that is probably a distant thought for another day. For now, he can simply relish a dream that first took shape when he was 20 years old entering the inaugural season of the IPL, and which finally became a reality almost two decades later under the lights in Ahmedabad.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

01 Jun 2026 0:54 IST