KL Rahul reveals the 1 match that haunts Virat Kohli till date

KL Rahul recently revisited the unforgettable yet painful 2016 IPL final, where Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fell agonizingly short of their first-ever title in front of a packed home crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) hopes of winning their maiden IPL title on home soil slipped away after suffering a narrow defeat by eight runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

KL Rahul reflects on heartbreaking IPL 2016 Final loss when RCB falls short of maiden title

Playing their third IPL final, a thrilling 114-run opening stand between Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle couldn’t carry the RCB team across the finish line while chasing a hefty 209-run target against the David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), as they bowled out for 200 runs in Bengaluru.

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KL Rahul had contributed with a quick boundary but was dismissed for just 11 by Ben Cutting, who later earned the Player of the Match award for his stellar all-round performance.

The Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting had smashed an unbeaten 39 off 15 balls and scalped two wickets, including Chris Gayle, to play a key role in SRH's thrilling title triumph over the RCB.

For Royal Challengers Bangalore, the IPL 2016 had been nothing short of a rollercoaster.

They had lost five of their first seven games but staged an inspirational comeback, pushing themselves into the final in a journey. However, the loss in the final remains a deep wound for the franchise, players, and fans, as they are yet to clinch an IPL title.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL 2016 Final heartbreak still fresh in KL Rahul’s mind

Reflecting on the 2016 IPL final, Rahul admitted that the memories of that match are still fresh. The Indian wicketkeeper further revealed that he and Virat Kohli often discuss how close they were to winning the IPL title, especially wondering how different things might have been if one of them had batted longer to guide RCB to victory against the SRH in Bengaluru.

The right-handed batter also told Rahul that the 2016 season was incredibly special for RCB, as they made an incredible comeback from near elimination after a poor start, winning seven consecutive games to qualify for the final. He added that winning the title at home in Chinnaswamy would have been the perfect story, but unfortunately, it ended in disappointment.

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Me and Virat Kohli always talked about it many times: KL Rahul

Rahul said on Star Sports: “It’s a long time ago, but it’s still fresh in my memories. Me and Virat (Kohli), the last 5-6 years, always talked about it many times. There's always that reminder that, Gosh, had one of us played a little longer and won that game, it would have been very different.

At RCB, that year was very, very special. I mean, it would have been a fairy tale to be right at the bottom and to win 7 games to qualify and then go into the finals and win the finals at home in Chinnaswamy. There wouldn't have been a better story or a better ending, but unfortunately, that didn't happen for us.”

KL Rahul talking about the 2016 IPL Final. 🥹💔pic.twitter.com/Z8EaEJZcPU

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 13, 2024