RCB and Virat Kohli ended an 18-year wait for the IPL title.
Virat Kohli and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad were previously synonymous with heartbreak for the cricketer. The last time Virat Kohli was in a final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India suffered a soul-crushing defeat against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
However, things were different in the IPL 2025 final as Virat Kohli’s RCB defeated PBKS by 6 runs, ending an excruciating 18-year wait for the maiden IPL title.
After the game, Kohli went back to the dressing room with his friend and longtime IPL teammate AB de Villiers by his side. He called a section of the room the "heartbreak corner." After he had succeeded in turning the tables, Kohli declared that it was no longer the "heartbreak corner."
In the dressing room, Kohli then delivered an enthralling speech in which he emphasized how captain Rajat Patidar led the team despite first joining the team as an injury replacement.
"What a turnaround. From injury replacement to IPL-winning captain. Bloody Hell," Kohli said while referring to Patidar.
"Very difficult to explain, man. I think I am going to feel the real side of it when we get to Bengaluru tomorrow, and celebrate it with the city and the fans who have stood with us through thick and thin. So, I am just relieved. Full bunch of match winners. People are stepping up at different stages and putting their hands up to get the job done for the team. To have that hunger and confidence in them. This guy, local lad [points to Mayank Agarwal], comes in place of Dev [Padikkal]. You could see they wear that badge with pride… of RCB. That can never go away from a Bengaluru boy, and yeah, this guy was special,” Kohli stated.
After being faithful to the team for eighteen years despite the absence of final success, Mayank subsequently told Kohli that he still needed to make it to Bengaluru, where the fans would show him their affection.
"Sorry to cut you off. You playing for Bengaluru for 18 years, I can tell you one thing. You are as much a Bengaluru boy as anybody else. I am sure you have an idea, but tomorrow and the coming days, you will really experience the love of this city," Agarwal told Virat.
"I am just glad that I could do it with RCB," Kohli concluded.
Here is the video: