It was the image every cricket fan had been waiting 18 years to witness.
Virat Kohli—drenched in sweat, overcome with emotion, eyes brimming with tears—finally lifting the IPL trophy in the red and black of Royal Challengers Bangalore. A franchise he joined at the IPL’s inception in 2008. A city that adopted him. A fanbase that stood by him through heartbreak after heartbreak.
And now, finally, glory.
RCB’s six-run win over Punjab Kings in the 2025 IPL final wasn’t just a cricketing milestone. It was a cathartic moment for the sport itself—a culmination of nearly two decades of effort, loyalty, and belief. Kohli called it “an unbelievable feeling,” admitting, “I never thought this day would come.”
But even as he stood atop the IPL mountain, Kohli’s mind wandered to a different peak. A steeper one. A quieter one. The one defined not by fireworks and packed stadiums, but by white flannels and worn pitches.
Test cricket.
In a moment that felt almost out of time—surrounded by roaring fans and IPL pageantry—Kohli’s voice steadied with conviction.
“This moment is right up there with the best moments I’ve had in my career,” he said. “But it still marks five levels under Test cricket. That’s how much I value Test cricket, and that’s how much I love Test cricket.”
The comments came just weeks after Kohli’s emotional retirement from the Test format, bringing to a close one of the most celebrated red-ball careers in the modern era. His final Test tally: over 9,000 runs in 113 matches, 30 centuries, a captaincy stint that revitalized India’s pace attack, and unforgettable duels from Adelaide to Cape Town.
And yet, in victory, Kohli didn’t use the IPL stage to soak in praise. He used it as a platform—to protect the format that made him.
“If you perform in Test cricket, you walk around anywhere in the world, people look you in the eye and shake your hand and say, ‘Well done, you played the game really well.’”
“If you want to earn respect in world cricket all over, take up Test cricket, give your heart and soul to it. When you walk out the other side, then you gain the respect of the cricket world—with legends like yourselves.”
It was vintage Kohli. Combustible on the field, philosophical off it. Always a student of the game’s deeper truths.
While many athletes in his position would revel in finally “completing the set”—Kohli has now won the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, and IPL—he framed the moment differently.
“I’ve had moments when I thought otherwise, but I stuck to this team. I stood behind them, they stood behind me. And this is far more special than winning it with anyone else, because my heart is with Bangalore. My soul is with Bangalore.”
The sentiment extended beyond teammates. Kohli made a point to dedicate the win to the fans—“loyally royal” as he called them—and to his wife Anushka Sharma, who’s “been coming here supporting RCB since 2014… watching tough games, watching us just miss out.”
But as the confetti fell and the tributes poured in, it was that one quote—“five levels under Test cricket”—that lingered in the minds of purists.
In an IPL era that celebrates sixes and spectacle, Kohli’s words felt like a rare reminder of cricket’s soul. And in a season where commercialism reigns and calendars overflow, they landed as a challenge.
A challenge to the next generation. A call not to forget.
“Treat that format with respect,” he said. “Give your heart and soul to it.”
For a player whose career has spanned formats, continents, and eras—perhaps Kohli’s greatest legacy won’t be the trophies, but the truth he told when the cameras were rolling:
Even after 18 years, even after an IPL title, the crown still belongs to Test cricket.
