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When Virat Kohli, one of the biggest cricket players in India, realized his 17 -year -old dream to win the title of the Indian Premier (IPL) with his longtime team the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the moment made him cry his eyes.
Vocient with emotion while the last ball was launched, Kohli held his hands on his face with disbelief and hit the lawn while his teammates celebrated.
“It has been 18 long years,” said 36 -year -old cricket legend to diffusers afterwards, his eyes are still injected with blood. “It’s an incredible feeling. I never thought that day would come.”
His team, which he joined in the inaugural season of the League in 2008, had gone three times before without victory. Kohli has won several World Cups with India, but never the elusive IPL trophy – until Tuesday evening.
“I am someone who wants to win the big tournaments, the great moments, and this one was missed,” he said, adding that he was going to sleep like a baby “after the victory.
The celebrations on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the first League title, were tainted with tragedy when at least 11 people were killed in a jostling near the Cricket stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, a few hours after the victory.
Thousands of people had gathered outside to have an overview of the return players when dozens were trampled on, leaving more than 30 injured.
The latter triumph sporting to check the Kohli list only occurred a few weeks after his surprise announcement that he retired from the test matches, the traditional and longest format of international cricket, which is also considered the most prestigious.
The news shocked her fans through India and in the world, while they were trying to reconcile with what retirement could mean for the Indian cricket team.
The legendary and favorite player of the fans, who has 273 million Instagram followers – the third higher for an athlete, after the football stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – designed as a highly competitive warrior on the field, dedicated to victory at all costs.
Kohli has been “the incandescent heart of Indian crickets for more than a decade,” wrote Greg Chappell, former Australian champion in the Australian stick and coach of India Oneime, in a recent Column for espncricinfo.com.
“He redefined expectations, challenged conventions and symbolized India without excuse and shame of the 21st century,” said Chappell.
‘I wanted to cry’
It was Kohli’s fire and dedication on the international field that has inspired many fans.
“When I heard the announcement, I wanted to cry,” Prachi Jajoo told CBC News, when she watched Kohli play Tuesday in a bar in Mumbai. “It was really sudden and an emotional moment for everyone.”
“We will never see him again in the whites,” she added, referring to the white jerseys worn for test cricket matches.
Jajoo said that she would especially miss Kohli’s passion when he would play test matches for India.
“He is the fighter master, the racing master. When he is necessary, he plays very well under pressure.”
Other fans who look at the Tuesday IPL final in a bar in Mumbai were just as inconsolable about Kohli’s shock decision, even if they had had several weeks to digest it.
“He has changed everything” in Test Cricket, said Uberfan Yashvi Shah, 24.
“How to play, how to be aggressive, then drag people on the ground,” she said, referring to the practice of verbally taunting opponents to throw them away from their game.
“It’s a legend,” added Yashvi’s older sister, Dhruvi, 28.
“I don’t know if I will continue to watch [test] Cricket because Virat Kohli will no longer beat, “she added laughing.
Looking for the next superstar
This is a major concern for the Federation that manages Indian cricket, the Cricket Control Council in India (BCCI).
They will not say it openly, said K. Shiriniwas Rao, a sports editor for the Times of India group, but the BCCI “is not very comfortable at the idea of Virat Kohli leaving test cricket”.
“The biggest question they have to answer for themselves is: who is exactly the next superstar around which they will mark sport?”
According to Rao, the test cricket format, where the matches generally last five days, requires more superstars like Kohli.
“He needs people who can bring the crowd to the field … who can help generate income … who can popularize the game through the continents.”
Kohli is this kind of name, he added.
The news of the Cricket Star retirement struck several days after the 38 -year -old Indian captain Rohit Sharma, announced that he was leaving test cricket.
This means that the Indian team will start a difficult tour of five tests in England later this month without their two most experienced strikers.
“Two of the biggest names in the match have just moved away,” said Rao, leaving a big hole, even if the team has rising stars.
Rao said he was “absolutely bored and angry” against Kohli for leaving test cricket, because the cricket player is in good shape to have two or three solid years playing the longer format.
Other fans are more indulgent.
“It’s his decision,” said Deepak Jajoo. “We cannot force anyone to play.”
Not even a superstar like Kohli, who “gave his whole” for the love of the game.
