- India,
- 31-May-2025 09:30 AM IST
Virat Kohli IPL Final: Virat Kohli—a name that is seen with both respect and passion in the world of cricket. Whenever there is talk of form, focus and fire, Kohli is automatically mentioned. But in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), one thing is associated with Kohli's name with a little discomfort—his performance in the IPL finals.This year, after nine years, Kohli is once again in the race for the final. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have made it to the finals with a miraculous performance and this time the expectations of the fans are a bit higher. After all, this is the same Kohli who set the record for scoring the most runs in a season in 2016. But when it comes to finals, the figures are not that impressive.First Final: 2009 – Full of experience, but the result was disappointingVirat Kohli played his first IPL final in the year 2009. In this match against Deccan Chargers, Kohli came to bat at number six and returned to the pavilion after scoring just 7 runs. RCB lost by 6 runs and Kohli had to taste his first final defeat.Second Final: 2011 – Opening responsibility, but the result was the sameIn 2011, Virat Kohli opened in the final against Chennai Super Kings. This time he scored 35 runs, but the team suffered a crushing defeat of 58 runs. Kohli's bat did work, but his innings failed to turn the match.Third Final: 2016 – Kohli shines, team misses2016 was the season when Virat Kohli was at the peak of his career. He scored four centuries that year and scored 973 runs. In the final too, he played a fighting innings of 54 runs, but his team lost by 8 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This was Kohli's first half-century in the final, but the joy of the title still remained far away.Kohli's performance in the final: The truth behind the statisticsSo far, Virat Kohli has played three finals in which he has scored a total of 96 runs. His average has been around 32 and strike rate around 128. These figures are not bad, but they are definitely pale in comparison to what is expected from a player like Kohli.What will be different this time?Virat Kohli is now much more experienced, much more mature and adept at reading the match situation. His recent form is also encouraging. The question is this - will Kohli be able to break his final 'jinx' this time by breaking the old records? Will King Kohli win the final this time?The answer to this question will be found only on the field, but it is certain that the heartbeat of Kohli's fans has increased. Because when Virat Kohli walks on the big stage, history is made. And it is possible that this time in the IPL final, Kohli's bat does what was awaited for the last nine years.