RCB skipper Virat Kohli
Skipper Virat Kohli shared a heartwarming message for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans following their thumping six-wicket defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday. In their quest to win maiden IPL title, Kohli's men managed to post a modest 131-run total in the Eliminator of the on-going IPL edition.
In response, the Hyderabad batting unit, despite a few hiccups, chased down the target with two deliveries to spare and shattered RCB's hopes of their first IPL trophy. Kane Williamson's unbeaten 50 coupled with Jason Holder's 20-ball 24* steered SRH past the finishing line at Abu Dhabi.
All eyes were on Kohli's men to deliver strong performance and move closer to the coveted IPL trophy. However, RCB continued their dismal playoffs record, failing to deliver a dominant performance when it mattered most. AB de Villiers, scoring 56 off 43 balls, guided the Bangalore side to a respectable total but it wasn't enough for them to progress further in the tournament.
After their oust, Kohli thanked RCB fans for their unconventional support along with sharing a squad picture.
"Together through the highs and lows. It's been a great journey for us as a unit. Yes things did not go our way but proud of the whole group. Thank you to all our fans for your support. Your love makes us stronger. See you all soon," wrote the RCB captain.
Kohli had a woeful night with the bat too. While promoting himself up top instead of Aaron Finch, he managed to score just 7-ball 6. His ally Devdutt Padikkal also failed to shine as he departed on 1 in the fourth over. Kohli, nonetheless, had a memorable outing in the UAE this year.
In 15 games, he managed to score 466 runs at an average of 42.36, including three half-centuries. With seven wins under their belt, RCB managed to finish fourth in the league stage of the tournament. However, after suffering four losses on the trot, Kohli and Co rather had a disappointing end to their campaign.
"Similar conditions for everyone and that's the reason this has been one of the competitive IPL this year. It was amazing to have had this opportunity to come out and play. There's a bigger picture going around here and we are all contributing to that. To all our fans who have supported us like every year, we just want to thank them," said Kohli after the loss in the Eliminator.
