Cricket Superstar Virat Kohli Finally Ends Title Hex At Indian Premier League

With just a few deliveries left in the Indian Premier League final, a triumph in the bag for Royal Challengers Bengaluru having finally secured a title after an excruciating wait of 17 years, cricket’s biggest superstar Virat Kohli was teary-eyed and on his haunches in the outfield.

All eyes were on the 36-year-old Kohli, who was about to end a baffling career hex, a curse that caused him so much heartbreak since he was a teenager and had become a source of mockery from opposition fans.

Whether he’s charging between the wickets, starting a physical altercation with opposition teenaged players or riling up crowds, the firebrand Kohli wears his heart on his sleeve.

There was no way he was going to contain his emotion on this muggy Ahmedabad night amid a febrile crowd of more than 90,000, including his famous movie star wife, Anushka Sharma who was understandably giddy in the terraces.

Kohli wiped the tears away and looked towards the heavens as all the pain washed away after years of toil and underachievement. He had spotted in those final moments former teammate AB de Villiers, a legendary batter rivalling Kohli’s IPL status as the GOAT, who was on the sidelines waiting to begin his post-match broadcasting duties.

De Villiers had once famously been part of RCB’s three-headed batting monster alongside Kohli and big-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle, who was also at the ground and about to join in the revelry.

For all the hype and firepower they brought to RCB, a title proved elusive and it was only the indefatigable Kohli who remained standing.

Seeing his great mate de Villiers made Kohli extra emotional. He was unable to end this hex with de Villiers by his side as a teammate, but it wasn’t long before they embraced heartily – along with the always jovial Gayle decked in a red turban and RCB jersey.

After the final delivery was bowled, Kohli sank to his knees, hands in his face, as teammates soon mobbed cricket’s most iconic player who doubles as India’s most famous citizen.

Fittingly in the IPL’s 18th season, the famous number that sports Kohli’s back, the Indian batting legend had finally ended his career jinx.

Being titleless in cricket’s biggest domestic competition, a multi-billion dollar league that has become the No.1 obsession for cricket crazy India, had not necessarily affected Kohli’s legacy but it was nonetheless a source of major frustration for him.

Something that resurfaced annually this time of year with endless scrutiny over why T20 cricket’s greatest batter could never deliver powerhouse RCB a title. He has played his entire career with RCB, the glamour franchise in the IPL something like the Lakers and Yankees in America.

It had seemed unfathomable that Kohli, the IPL’s and T20 batting GOAT could never break through in a competition that is so heavily skewed towards batting on extremely flat surfaces.

Kohli has been synonymous with the entire history of the IPL having emerged as a precocious 19-year-old during its first edition in 2008 and his link with RCB has made the franchise renowned globally.

The IPL may only be modestly followed beyond South Asia, but everyone in the cricket world knows RCB due to Kohli.

Even as the drought rolled on towards a staggering two decades, as the criticism mounted amid particular glee from successful rivals Mumbai Indians whose fan base is devoted to Indian legend Rohit Sharma, Kohli always believed that he could inspire RCB even though bigger-hitting talents emerged.

His willpower and determination has warded off advancing age and a T20 belligerent game that was becoming the antithesis of his technical expertise honed from a more sedate era.

Most impressively, Kohli has been able to tweak his game, batting with more explosiveness at the top of the order to produce an outstanding season for RCB.

He was more circumspect in the final as Kohli reverted to his old role of anchor with 43 to top score for RCB and ensure they had a competitive score on the board.

Mustering his wealth of experience, Kohli knew that chasing in such a pressurized final would be difficult for Punjab and his instincts proved correct as Kings fell six runs short.

While he has retired from the longer formats, including recently confirming his departure from Test cricket, Kohli will still be around in the T20 format and the IPL for some time to come. But he can now be at ease that his IPL hoodoo is over.

After emotional embraces, none more so than with his proud wife, Kohli – whose snarl is perhaps his defining image for some – was grinning from ear to ear as he lifted the trophy high into the Ahmedabad sky on one of the greatest nights of his legendary career.