Tributes continue to pour in for Virat Kohli as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru legend fulfilled his dream of lifting the coveted Indian Premier League title on Tuesday, June 3. After a painstaking wait of 18 years, Kohli finally grabbed the silverware that had eluded him despite giving his heart and soul to the franchise. Former India cricketer Varun Aaron applauded the great’s IPL contributions and called him the “King of the castle” for being synonymous with RCB over the years. “He [Kohli] has been the king of the castle in RCB for 18 years,” said Aaron on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “At the end of the day, if they haven’t won a trophy, the first person they’re going to look at is Virat Kohli. And Virat Kohli, he loves to win. He can’t take second as even an option. So this is huge for him. Also, the kind of adoration and love he gets from the fans, from the franchise, is just huge.” Aaron hailed Kohli as the biggest and most loved face of Indian cricket after his idol and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, explaining why fans continue to gravitate towards the modern great. “This is what they’ve been expecting for the longest time. It has come good. RCB have been the most loved team in the Indian Premier League by far. And now I don’t know where Virat’s going to go after this. The biggest Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar, I would say, who’s played day in, day out for 18 years, he’s hardly ever missed matches, he’s hardly ever missed IPLs, and he’s turned up season after season,” Aaron said. “And given everything, when fans see the main player give everything on the field, with bat and even on the field, they’re going to feel that, you know what, this guy deserves something.” Kohli’s long journey with RCB came a full circle, with the cricketer ending an emotional trophy drought that tested his patience and persistence. The legendary Indian star never gave up on his association with the franchise despite suggestions to move elsewhere. Season after season, Kohli kept piling on the runs even as RCB continued falling short, including defeats in the finals of the 2009, 2011 and 2016 editions. The 36-year-old was finally rewarded for years of hard work and commitment with the memorable six-run win over Punjab Kings. The summit clash finished off a spectacular and overwhelming campaign for Kohli, who amassed 657 runs in 15 innings and stood jubilant lifting the trophy at the podium. Kohli’s teary eyes after the final ball touched the hearts of all cricket fans, especially loyal RCB supporters who realised their longstanding wish of seeing the man lift the IPL crown. Kohli finished as the third-highest run-getter of the tournament with eight half-centuries to his name.