Seventeen years of pain, ridicule and near misses are enough to break the spirit of many. Even if theirs did, Virat Kohli and Bengaluru fans had mastered the art of hiding it since 2008.
Finally, in the 18th year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's growing pains ceased and they no longer need to look at others for guidance; they can now chart their own path after a richly deserved IPL title.
A mere six runs was the difference between victory and defeat in the final against Punjab Kings on Tuesday. One hit either side, or a few dot balls here and there, and it could well have been Punjab lifting their maiden IPL trophy.
But Bengaluru probably were more desperate, slightly better prepared. Or maybe it was Kohli's destiny to receive the last remaining accolade of a glorious career – that of an IPL champion.
The superstar Indian batter has achieved almost everything one can on the cricket field – lift the ICC Test mace, win the ODI and T20 World Cup, and the 50-over Champions Trophy.
But for nearly 20 years, Kohli had to go through two months of suffering as a result of being a lifelong RCB leader, loyalist and star batter.
Even Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni – the other 'OGs' of IPL – have played for other franchises, but not Kohli. He had professed his loyalty to the franchise and its fans long back, especially as they cheered for him, his teammates and his team irrespective of the results, never wavering and barely complaining.
This year, Kohli and RCB owed it to the fans. Their women's team had already ended the trophy drought the previous season in the women's IPL. Now, the men's team needed to step up.
It was a long process. Every year Bengaluru would get one aspect of the game spot on – top order batting – and lose the plot in other crucial areas – bowling and local talent.
This season, at the player auction, Bengaluru hit the bullseye, putting together a perfectly balanced squad.
Kohli was handed an outstanding opening partner in Phil Salt and reliable batters in the middle order in captain Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma. Some useful knocks from their power hitters Romario Shepherd, Tim David and even Krunal Pandya proved enough to take them all the way to the final.
Kohli once again was by far the best batter, finishing with another 600-plus season – 657 runs from 15 innings to be exact. But he had scored way more before. What mattered this time was Bengaluru's bowling.
Bringing in Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood (22 wickets) and pairing him with the relentless Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17 scalps) was one of the smartest decisions in recent years in the league.
The two provided eight overs of precision at the start and the death throughout the season – something no other side could boast.
Add to it the more than capable left-arm pace of Yash Dayal (13 wickets) and Bengaluru had a formidable bowling attack.
What made them champions, however, was the unheralded Krunal (17 wickets). The less celebrated elder brother of Hardik Pandya is also a capable all-rounder and this season, he turned out to be the trump card with his extreme variations.
Krunal started the season bowling 120kph bouncers to surprise unsuspecting batters and finished it with a match-winning spell of 2-17 while defending 190, relying on classic left-arm spin with subtle changes in trajectory and release points.
It all fell in place perfectly in the final in Ahmedabad. Kohli could barely contain himself as it dawned upon him that he was going to lift the trophy. His wife Anushka Sharma was there. So were other RCB heroes AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.
The emotions were too great to control. For the best part of his career, Kohli was at the pinnacle of cricket as the premier batter and superstar of the game, attracting the next generation of fans in the sport – and outside – to the charms of cricket, especially the Test format.
As captain, he was the toughest, most hard working and unforgiving. But he did not win any major title. As reality hit home, Kohli stepped away from the pressures of leadership – at the national level and also at his beloved RCB.
It all happened simultaneously and coincided with a gradual decline in his batting form. Over the past few seasons, the runs started to come in fits and starts, just not as smoothly as before. Maybe it was the beginning of the end.
He had a stupendous 2023 ODI World Cup, which ended in another heartbreak for him and the nation in the final. Time was surely running out when he played in the 2024 T20 World Cup. There, in the final, he scored a title-winning fifty.
Kohli's Test career then nosedived by the end of last year, resulting in an unsavoury decoupling from the format. But this period was sweetened by another world title – the 50-over Champions Trophy – where Kohli excelled.
The IPL was all that remained. On Tuesday, Kohli closed that chapter as well.
Kohli has served cricket with great distinction, becoming the de facto face of the sport as it propagated in new territories. Thankfully, cricket can now also say it gave Kohli everything that it could for his services.
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Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
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Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
