'Ten times more special': Virat dedicates RCB's maiden IPL trophy to de Villiers, Gayle

Virat Kohli, who brought delight to millions of people across the globe after playing his part in steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to its maiden IPL trophy, gave fans another reason to smile after dedicating their historic title win to the two franchise stalwarts AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.

RCB etched its name into the history books by deflating Punjab Kings' hopes of lifting the trophy in the final of the 18th season of the cash-rich league.

Gaye and de Vliiers watched the famous moment on the sidelines and celebrated the special success story with their former compatriot and long-time friend Virat.

After the destructive trio reunited, Virat, who struggled to hide away his emotions, reminisced about the good old days when they put in everything they had on the field in their prime years. In 2016, they came close but couldn't get past the finishing line.

"I have spent my prime years with them. I know how much we tried to win this. We were so close a couple of times, and we were such a good team; we had the explosiveness in our team, but we could never cross the line. We gave our prime years to this franchise," Virat said while speaking to the broadcasters after the final.

Bengaluru churned out the blueprint for lifting the trophy after posting 190/9 on the board. RCB bowlers hunted in packs, took wickets at regular intervals, and conjured a six-run victory to take the coveted title home.

For the teary-eyed Virat, the presence of his former teammates made the moment "10 times more special". The trophy that belonged to the franchise's beloved star, "equally", belonged to Gayle and de Villiers.

"I promise you this feels 10 times more special because these two are standing next to me. Honestly, it is as much theirs as it is mine. When you come to Bengaluru, it is not just me; when they come, people love them and they go absolutely berserk. They know, and they appreciate that they have given their heart and soul to this team till the time they played here. These two guys have given their everything, so it is equally theirs, too," he added.

The former South African dynamic batter is RCB's second-highest run-scorer of all time, with 4,522 runs in 157 matches and 145 innings at an average of 41.10, including two centuries and 37 half-centuries. His runs came at an impressive strike rate of 158.33.

For RCB from 2011-17, Gayle effortlessly toppled down records, scored 3,163 runs in 85 matches and 84 innings at an average of 43.33, with a strike rate of 152.73. He scored five centuries and 19 fifties, with the best score of 175*. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)