Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) mainstay Virat Kohli on Tuesday expressed his disappointment after the team’s campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 came to an end in the league phase.RCB needed to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) to qualify for the playoffs but they suffered a 6-wicket defeat on Sunday, crashing out of the competition. Kohli, who scored a century in the match, was understandably disappointed to see the big dream of lifting the IPL title remaining unfulfilled again. In a post on social media, Kohli thanked the RCB fans for their support and said he was proud of the team’s efforts. He also said that he was looking forward to the next season and that he would continue to give his 100% for the team.
“A season which had it’s moments but unfortunately we fell short of the goal. Disappointed but we must hold our heads high. To our loyal supporters, grateful for backing us every step of the way. A big thank you to the coaches, management and my teammates. We aim to be back stronger,” he wrote on Instagram. Kohli was on song in the 16th edition of the IPL In the match against the defending champions GT, Virat scored 101* in just 61 balls. His knock consisted of 13 fours and a six. He scored 639 runs in 14 matches of IPL 2023, at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate above 139. He scored two centuries and six fifties this season. Skipper Faf du Plessis, in the meantime, was clear cut in saying that RCB didn't deserve to qualify for the playoffs as they weren't one of the best teams in the competition. Du Plessis, who is currently the Orange Cap holder of IPL 2023, said that RCB put in some brilliant individual performances, but failed to perform as a team. "If we look at ourselves, we will be honest in saying that we weren't one of the best teams in the competition. We were lucky that there were some really good performances throughout, but as a whole, we don't deserve to be in the playoffs. We tried hard tonight but fell short," du Plessis was quoted as saying.
