The famed Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers brotherhood was there for all to see as Royal Challengers Bengaluru marched towards their first-ever Indian Premier League title to end an 18-year wait, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday (June 3). RCB beat Punjab Kings by six runs in a hard-fought final to follow up the Women's Premier League 2024 title with the men's prize finally.
Moments after the win, Kohli told former Australia opener Matthew Hayden that what de Villiers "has done for the franchise is unbelievable". He added that "this one is as much yours as it is ours, and we will celebrate it with you tonight".
Indeed, Kohli was celebrating every wicket and key moment with de Villiers in the latter stage of the match, when the South African legend stepped away from broadcast duty to cherish those moments close to the boundary rope with his former teammate. It was a visual every single RCB lover had yearned to see over the years, and with the dream now coming true, social media was abuzz with posts of joy. It was even more pronounced with Kohli visibly crying once victory was virtually confirmed for his side.
Earlier, former England cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton had jokingly mused that RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik would become "unbearable" if the team wins their first IPL title. Karthik has now achieved this feat in his first season with the franchise.
