Virat Kohli's IPL 2023 campaign came to a sad end on Sunday as Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to qualify for the playoffs. Needing a win to make the knockouts, RCB crashed to a six-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in their final league fixture, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Chasing a target of 198 runs, GT wrapped it up with five balls to spare, courtesy of a second-straight IPL century from Shubman Gill. The GT opener hammered an unbeaten knock of 104 runs off 52 balls. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj took two wickets for RCB.
In the first innings, Kohli also clobbered his second-consecutive IPL ton as RCB posted 197/5 in 20 overs. The former RCB captain smacked an unbeaten knock of 101 runs in 61 deliveries. Meanwhile, Noor Ahmad was in hot form for GT's bowling department and took two wickets.
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With the loss, and the margin of it, RCB finished sixth in the table, despite having same points as fifth-placed Rajasthan Royals, separated only by an inferior net run rate. It was RCB's worst finish since 2019, where they were handed the wooden spoon. It also marked the end of RCB's streak of making the playoffs since IPL 2020.
The loss also meant Kohli went another IPL season without a trophy. Despite all the batting records and the accolades over his illustrious IPL career, the one thing missing from his resume remains that IPL trophy. Hence, taking to Twitter, former England and RCB teammate Kevin Pietersen made an audacious remark on Kohli where he suggested him to join Delhi Capitals. "Time for VIRAT to make the move to the capital city…! #IPL", wrote Pietersen.
{{/usCountry}}The loss also meant Kohli went another IPL season without a trophy. Despite all the batting records and the accolades over his illustrious IPL career, the one thing missing from his resume remains that IPL trophy. Hence, taking to Twitter, former England and RCB teammate Kevin Pietersen made an audacious remark on Kohli where he suggested him to join Delhi Capitals. "Time for VIRAT to make the move to the capital city…! #IPL", wrote Pietersen.
{{/usCountry}}Kohli hails from Delhi and has played for the domestic team as well in Ranji and other white-ball games before elevating to Team India. Hence, back in 2008, when the first ever IPL auction was held, it was almost a certainty that Delhi would pick Kohli.
Speaking on an RCB podcast show last year, Kohli had admitted coming across conversations that Delhi were interested in picking him, but was eventually rejected over left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan.
Kohli had said: "There was one conversation where I heard from people that the Delhi team was interested to go after me but the dynamics of their team turned out to be such that they went for Pradeep Sangwan - who was a left-arm seamer, amazing bowler, at that time he was our best bowler in U-19. So Delhi decided to go for him because they wanted their bowling strengthened and RCB picked me. In hindsight, I feel it was such an important moment in my life. I didn't realize it then but now when I look back, things could have been very different to what they are now. I would not have it any other way than this."
Kohli remains the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 7263 runs in 237 matches, packed with seven centuries and fifty half-centuries. In the ongoing season, Kohli is third in the Orange Cap race with 639 runs in 14 matches, including two tins and six half-centuries.
After GT's win, the Hardik Pandya-led side ended the league phase as table-toppers with 20 points in 14 matches, followed by CSK (17 points) in second position. LSG (17) are third, MI (16) are fifth, RR (14) are fifth and RCB (14) are in sixth position. KKR (12) end the season in seventh position, followed by Punjab Kings (12), Delhi Capitals (10) and SRH (8) in the bottom of the table.