After 18 long years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have finally laid their hands on the IPL trophy — and no player embodied that long-awaited moment more than Virat Kohli.

For the Indian superstar, this was more than a title. It marked the culmination of a personal journey that began with RCB’s very first season back in 2008.

“His cricketing career was nearly born at RCB,” reflected former Australia coach Tom Moody.

“That’s why you saw him so emotional. He came here as a young player, and this franchise helped shape him into the cricketer he is today,” Moody said.

Now 36, Kohli has spent his entire IPL career wearing RCB colours. In 259 innings, he has scored 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54 — more than anyone else in IPL history.

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Between 2011 and 2023, he led RCB in 143 matches, steering them to the 2016 final — a season in which he amassed a record 973 runs, a mark that still stands.

Former RCB pacer Varun Aaron summed up Kohli’s stature within the team.

“He’s been the king of the castle at RCB for 18 years. And if the team didn’t win, everyone looked at Virat. But he’s a guy who lives to win — second place is never an option for him,” Aaron said.

“The biggest Indian player after Tendulkar, and someone who’s barely missed a match, always giving everything on the field. The fans know that. They know he deserves this success,” he added.

RCB fans — among the most loyal in the league — have waited years for this moment. This first title felt like a triumph shared between the fans, the franchise, and its longest-serving player.

“There’s a special bond there,” Moody said. “When you saw him celebrating, it was like the young Virat coming out again — full of emotion.”

With the IPL title finally in the bag, talk will now turn to what lies ahead for Kohli. But for now, both player and franchise can savour a dream realised at last.