Virat Kohli ends silence on RCB’s heartbreaking exit, pens heartfelt message for fans
Virat Kohli, the eminent batsman of Royal Challengers Bangalore, conveyed his appreciation to the fans for their unwavering support throughout the IPL 2024 season, despite the team’s disappointing exit following a loss to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on Wednesday.
Kohli expressed his sincere gratitude to the fans, recognizing their love and encouragement for both the players and the franchise. RCB’s journey in the tournament was remarkable, marked by an impressive turnaround after a challenging start. The team secured a playoff berth with six consecutive victories in the latter half of the league stage.
Taking to his official Instagram account, Kohli wrote, “Once again, heartfelt thanks to all the RCB fans for making us feel loved and appreciated as always.”
RCB faced setbacks with seven losses in their initial eight matches but bounced back remarkably to win all their remaining league games, earning a spot in the Playoffs. Their qualification to the knockout stage was highlighted by a crucial match against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, where RCB displayed their resilience, limiting CSK to 191/7 in the chase of 220 runs.
However, their Eliminator clash with Rajasthan Royals proved to be challenging, resulting in a four-wicket defeat in Ahmedabad.
Kohli stood out as the most consistent performer for RCB throughout the season, leading the list of leading run-scorers with 741 runs in 15 matches. The next best among players still in the competition is Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag, with 567 runs in 15 games.
Following their elimination, Virat Kohli addressed the dressing room, emphasizing that the team never lost belief despite the difficult start.
“We began to express ourselves, playing for our self-respect, and then the confidence returned. The way we turned things around and qualified was truly special, something that I will always cherish and remember because it took a lot of character from each member of this team, something that we can be really proud of. Eventually, we played the way we wanted to play,” Kohli said.