'He Will Be Gutted...,' Ravi Shastri Explains Why Virat Kohli is Heartbroken


image-li1q5prbVirat Kohli (Source: BCCI/IPL)

The former RCB skipper Virat Kohli and his side missed out on making it to this year's playoffs. Their dreams were shattered on May 21 when Shubman Gill notched up a scintillating century to knock RCB out of playoff contention. The Bangalore-based franchise ended their campaign at the number 6 position in the points table with 7 wins under their belt.

RCB as a unit was gradually beginning to catch up at the final stages of the tournament and fancied their chances of entering the playoffs riding on a high NRR. but much to their despair, they were well short against Gujarat Titans in their last fixture when it mattered the most. Amidst a brittle middle order, RCB was too reliant on Kohli, Maxwell, and Du Plessis who did the bulk of the heavy lifting at the top of the order.

In a discussion with Star Sports, cricketer turned commentator Ravi Shastri, stated that Virat Kohli would have been utterly disappointed for not being able to win the title for RCB despite being a part of the franchise for 16 long years. 

“No question, he will be gutted. He has been playing for the franchise for such a long time. It’s been 16 years, you have not won the IPL. But every time you come back, you will be reminded of that. It’s no fault of anyone for them to be reminded because that’s the nature of the beast,”

He further stated that despite the presence of match winners, teams like Delhi, Bangalore, and Punjab have always fallen short. 

“If you look at Delhi, if you look at Bengaluru, if you look at Punjab, these 3 teams have not won it. It’s incredible considering the real superstars who have played for them in the past.”

His side may have ended up on the losing side, however, the star batter Virat Kohli ended his season on a staggering high as he amassed 639 runs in 14 innings and struck 6 half-centuries and 2 tons.