Punjab Kings’ head coach and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting shared heartfelt thoughts on Virat Kohli’s emotional response following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s historic IPL title win. The winning moment, saw Kohli in tears and on his knees after the final ball. As said by Ponting, the display of emotion from the RCB hero was a poignant expression of the years of pressure, passion, and persistence that went into eventually winning the coveted IPL trophy for the first time something that had been slipping from Kohli and the franchise since the league began in 2008.
“You can see in his eyes in that last over, he was shedding a tear, that’s what it means to players, that’s what it means to everyone,” Ponting told reporters after the final.
“Chennai (Super Kings) have won it a few times, Mumbai (Indians) have won it a few times, but it’s not an easy tournament to win it is as simple as that and you have to think long and hard about that. It’s not easy to win this thing.”
The final, held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, ended in a nail-biting six-run win for RCB over Punjab Kings. Kohli’s emotional breakdown wasn’t just about victory it was a release after nearly two decades of carrying a franchise, being its face, and enduring countless near-misses.
Ponting, who has won World Cups and captained one of the most dominant sides in cricket history, acknowledged the emotional weight of franchise success, but also backed Kohli’s candid remark about its place in the bigger picture. Kohli had stated in his post-match interview that although the IPL championship was one of the highlights of his career, “it still sits five points below Test cricket” in terms of pride for him. Ponting concurred, pointing out that there is no greater privilege than to play for one’s country in Test cricket, but also complimented Kohli on his unshakeable devotion to RCB and the importance of this much-delayed victory to franchise and player alike.
“I’m probably one of the biggest purists of the game still involved. Whether I’m coaching or commentating, my first love is Test match cricket, always will be.”
“But I totally understand what he means… this is as close as I can get to playing a Test match again.”
