Virat Kohli stands on the brink of fulfilling a long-cherished dream of lifting the IPL trophy. As the playoffs begin on Thursday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart will be desperate to erase the heartbreak of losing the 2016 final as captain, and finally script a fairytale ending to his IPL journey.

RCB, who secured a thrilling victory over Lucknow Super Giants by chasing down a mammoth 228-run target, clinched the second spot on the points table and will now take on table-toppers Punjab Kings in the first qualifier on Thursday in Mullanpur. The winner of that clash will earn a direct berth in the grand finale scheduled for June 3 in Ahmedabad. However, a loss would not spell immediate doom, as the losing side will still have a second shot at making the final, facing the winner of the eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.

While Punjab Kings have reached the playoffs for the first time since 2014, it is RCB’s first top-two finish since 2016. Remarkably, neither team has ever won the IPL title, adding an extra layer of intensity to their upcoming battle.