Star India batter Virat Kohli completed his trophy set by helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru win their maiden Indian Premier League title after 17 years of trying.
Kohli has won all major white-ball trophies in international cricket, but the IPL crown had eluded him for nearly two decades. But he finally got to tick that box after Bengaluru clinched an six-run win against Punjab Kings at packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Batting first, Bengaluru posted 190-9, Kohli top-scoring with 43. That total seemed below par but a sensational bowling display by Bengaluru kept Punjab batters at bay throughout the 20 overs.
Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya (2-17) bowled a remarkable spell that included the scalps of the well-set Josh Inglis (39) and Prabhsimran Singh.
Punjab batter Shashank Singh took the match into the final over with a fighting 61 not out off 30 balls, but Bengaluru eked out victory for their first ever IPL title.
Punjab had lost seven wickets before the start of the final over, with 29 runs still needed. Josh Hazlewood bowled two dot balls to a well set Shashank. As the equation became mathematically impossible, the right-handed batter blasted consecutive boundaries to reduce the margin of defeat.
Earlier, star opening batter Kohli top-scored with 43 but Bengaluru's innings struggled to kick on at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
With Bengaluru and Punjab both searching for their first ever IPL title, the 132,000-capacity stadium was nearly packed with a sea of red and Kohli's jersey number 18 dominating the stands.
Kohli was far from fluent though, his innings taking 35 balls with just three fours.
He lost opening partner Phil Salt for 16 when New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson struck in his first over to send the England batter out, caught well in the deep by Iyer.
Kohli tried to anchor the innings with Mayank Agarwal, who made 24, and then skipper Rajat Patidar, who hit 26.
But Punjab kept taking wickets as leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal got Agarwal and Jamieson trapped Patidar lbw.
Kohli then mistimed a rising delivery from Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai to be caught and bowled. But as it turned out during India's T20 World Cup win last year, Kohli had done just enough.
Jamieson took his third wicket to cut short Liam Livingstone's knock of 25 off 15 balls.
Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh then capped a stunning comeback from Punjab, taking three wickets including the dangerous Romario Shepherd in the 20th over while giving away just three runs.
The final was watched by a capacity crowd which included former British PM Rishi Sunak.
There was heartbreak for Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer who had entered his second straight IPL final after guiding Kolkata to the title last year.
As victory neared, Kohli became visibly emotional, struggling to contain himself as more than 100,000 fans rallied around him. He was the first to be mobbed by his teammates, showing how much the title meant for Kohli and the franchise.
Kohli's wife Anushka Sharma and long-time teammate and close friend AB de Villiers were at the ground to witness the historic moment, as was former opening partner Chris Gayle.
