Virat Kohli could be seen in tears after finally winning the esteemed IPL trophy after 18 years with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Tuesday night. Despite struggling to win in the past seasons and facing defeat multiple times in the finals, RCB seemed confident and clinched a dramatic six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Just as the match ended, Kohli dropped to his knees and was quickly surrounded by his teammates. However, in one of the most touching moments of the night, Kohli ran and jumped into the arms of former India head coach Ravi Shastri. Kohli hugged Shastri warmly, he was relieved that he had finally won. Kohli and Shastri had formed a close bond while leading Team India together from 2017 to 2021.
A video of Kohli and Shastri embracing quickly went viral online, showing just how much the victory meant to them both. Shastri even gently patted Kohli on the head during the moment.
From wild boy to wise man and Ravi Shastri witnessed it all In that hug, years of rage, love, scars and sacrifice melted
That wasn’t just Virat Kohli hugging his coach that was a son returning home finally whole🤍 pic.twitter.com/183OHbMSVp— Ria𐙚 (@dreamyloom) June 3, 2025
Speaking after the match, Kohli said the win was for both the team and the fans. “It’s been 18 long years. I’ve given RCB everything—my youth, my best years. To finally lift the trophy feels unreal,” he told Matthew Hayden.
Kohli, who joined RCB in 2008 as a young star fresh off his U-19 World Cup win, had played in three losing IPL finals before. This time, his steady knock of 43 off 35 balls helped push RCB to a defendable total of 190/9. Despite a strong late effort by PBKS, they fell short at 184/7. “I didn’t think this day would come,” Kohli admitted. “It’s a dream come true. I gave it everything I had.”
Fans were overjoyed as RCB, and especially Virat Kohli, finally lifted the trophy, fulfilling an 18-year-long dream.
