KL Rahul recently revisited the unforgettable yet painful 2016 IPL final where Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fell agonizingly short of their maiden title in front of a packed home crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) hopes of winning their maiden IPL title on home soil were dashed after a narrow eight-run defeat by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
KL Rahul reflects on the heartbreaking IPL 2016 final loss when RCB fell short of their maiden title
Playing their third IPL final, a thrilling 114-run opening stand between Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle failed to take RCB to the finish line as they chased down a target of 209 runs against the David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). as they bowled out 200 runs in Bengaluru.
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KL Rahul contributed with a quick boundary but was then dismissed for just 11 by Ben Cutting, who won the Player of the Match award for his superb all-round performance.
Australian all-rounder Ben Cutting made an unbeaten 39 off 15 balls to play a key role in SRH’s thrilling title win over RCB, scalping two wickets including Chris Gayle.
IPL 2016 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
They had lost five of their first seven games, but made an encouraging comeback on the road to the final. However, the defeat in the final remains a deep wound for the franchise, players and fans as they are yet to win the IPL title.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s IPL 2016 Final is 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 went on to say that he and Virat Kohli often discuss how close they are to winning the IPL title, especially if one of them had batted longer to guide RCB to victory against SRH in Bengaluru, things could have been different.
The right-handed batsman Rahula also said that the 2016 season was incredibly special for RCB as they made an incredible comeback after a poor start by winning seven games in a row to qualify for the finals. He added that it would have been a perfect story to win the title at home in Chinnaswamy, but unfortunately it ended in disappointment.
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Me and Virat Kohli have always talked about this many times: KL Rahul
Rahul said on Star Sports, “It’s been a long time but it’s still fresh in my mind. Me and Virat (Kohli) have always talked about it many times in the last 5-6 years. There’s always a reminder that, gosh, if one of us had played a little longer and won this game, it would have been so different.
That year at RCB was very, very special. I mean, to be in the bottom right and win 7 games to qualify and go to the final and win the final at home in Chinnaswamy would be a fairy tale. It couldn’t have been a better story or a better ending, but unfortunately it didn’t happen for us.”
KL Rahul talks about the 2016 IPL Final. 🥹💔pic.twitter.com/Z8EaEJZcPU
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 13, 2024
