I had two heartbreaks in my life in 2016, first was WT20 and then the IPL Final: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season reaches its business end, star batter Virat Kohli finds himself in a tricky situation. He has major responsibilities of taking Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to the playoffs. Currently, the highest run-scorer of the season with 661 runs in 13 matches, Kohli’s determination to guide RCB to their maiden IPL title remains firm.

The 35-year-old recently opened up about the two cricketing heartbreaks that continue to haunt him to this day. The first was the IPL 2016 season, where despite being the leading run-scorer with 973 runs, he couldn’t lead his team to the title after a heartbreaking defeat in the finals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The second incident dates back to the ICC T20 World Cup 2016 in India, where Kohli was the tournament’s standout performer, scoring 273 runs. However, India’s hopes were crushed in the semi-final against the West Indies, leaving Kohli devastated.

“I had two heartbreaks in my life in 2016. First was the WT20 and then the IPL Final. It took me a few days to get over the WT20 loss because I was in such a position that I thought I could do it for India,” Kohli told JioCinema.

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RCB to face CSK in their next match

The former RCB skipper’s determination has only grown stronger despite the setbacks. His performances in the ongoing IPL season have been remarkable. RCB is gearing up to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last league game of the season, which will decide the fourth spot in the playoffs.

RCB has won their last five matches. For RCB to qualify for the playoffs, they must win against CSK. If they bat first, they need to set a target that is at least 18 runs more than what CSK can chase down. On the other hand, if they bat second, they must chase down CSK’s total within 18 overs.

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Meanwhile, CSK have won seven out of their 13 matches so far, with their latest victory coming against Rajasthan Royals by five wickets. However, CSK also finds themselves in a do-or-die situation for this crucial encounter.