For 18 long years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru carried the weight of being IPL's nearly-men, the perennial 'almost champions' who could never quite get over the line. And no one felt that mounting pressure more intensely than Virat Kohli. In a deeply candid episode of the RCB Podcast, the batting icon opened up about the raw emotion of finally breaking the championship jinx—and why a victory earlier in his career wouldn't have felt even a fraction as special.
"It's very difficult to explain to people in words how I felt in the last four balls of the last over," Kohli revealed, reflecting on those breathtaking final moments. "When you see from the outside what has happened to the franchise, how RCB has been looked at for so many years as a big team, a big franchise that's never won... There's one thing to observe and there's one thing to live it. And I have lived through all of those seasons."
Kohli's journey with RCB began as a teenager in the inaugural IPL season back in 2008, and he was the only player retained by the franchise in 2011. Over nearly two decades, he watched the team come agonizingly close time and again, building a legacy defined by heartbreak as much as brilliance. But rather than bitterness, those years of near-misses created something powerful: a joy so profound it could only be earned through struggle.
"I can for sure, with absolute honesty and clarity, say that it wouldn't have been 5% of the feeling I had had we won it in the earlier years," Kohli admitted, pointing to the accumulation of stress and expectation over 18 seasons. "For it to happen after 18 years, there couldn't have been a better experience for me in my cricketing journey."
The historic triumph triggered an outpouring of pure emotion—not just from Kohli, but from the franchise icons who helped build the RCB identity. Images of Kohli celebrating like a child alongside long-time teammates AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle quickly went viral, capturing a moment that transcended sport. It was a victory for the city of Bengaluru, for the fans who never stopped believing, and for a generation of players who turned decades of "almost" into something unforgettable.
Kohli emphasized that the bond between the players and Bengaluru goes far beyond professional contracts. It's a relationship forged in shared heartbreak, loyalty, and finally, redemption. And as any true fan knows, the best victories are always the ones you wait the longest for.