The long wait that defined Kohli and RCB's triumph

For a while, as Virat Kohli struggled in the middle on Tuesday, it looked as if Royal Challengers Bengaluru would be left to despair again in the IPL final.

- Ashish Magotra

NEW DELHI: The run-rate wasn't where they would have wanted it to be, Punjab Kings were putting on the clamps and RCB's talisman was not able to get going. The wait, some dreaded with the RCB total on 125/3 after 14 overs, could continue.

The cruellest cut in sport is to be within touching distance of the ultimate prize and then not win it. For RCB, it had happened thrice already, in 2009, 2011 and 2016. On each occasion, the cameras had zoomed in on Kohli. The expressions were a mix of dejection, disbelief and desperation — each feeling perhaps a reflection of where Kohli's career was at that point.

But this time, as the match wound to a close, Kohli could barely control the tears. When the final ball was bowled, he was on his knees and let it all out. Triumphs are sometimes defined by the wait; by how hard you have had to work for them; by how much the struggle changed you. This was the journey of a lifetime — for the club and the player.