NEW DELHI: After Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted their second consecutive IPL crown, Virat Kohli marked the moment with a heartfelt post on social media, celebrating yet another landmark campaign for the franchise. RCB beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to retain the title. Kohli then shared a set of photographs featuring the IPL trophy as well as teammates Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma and captain Rajat Patidar.
Kohli’s message: from back-to-back dreams to the winning moment
In his caption, Kohli referenced the question that drove the season after their previous triumph: “We asked ourselves a question last year—can we go back to back? Here we are again.” At 37-and-a-half years of age, the veteran batter said he continues to adapt as the game evolves. He struck the quickest T20 half-century of his career and completed a long-held desire by delivering the runs that finished the chase and secured an RCB title in a successful defence.
Kohli’s unbeaten 75 was described as the foundation of RCB’s second IPL trophy, and he said the winning run is the kind of moment he has envisioned repeatedly. “(It is the) stuff you dream of. (I) thought of this moment many times, wanting to hit the winning run,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Adapting to modern T20: the thinking behind the fastest half-century
When asked about his blistering 25-ball fifty, Kohli explained that his approach has changed to match the intensity of today’s cricket. “Such is the demand (that) super young players (are) pushing you to up the ante,” he said, adding that the seriousness of the statement resonated with many. He further stressed that he adjusted his mindset rather than abandoning his core game plan. “I had to change my mindset, not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs,” Kohli added.
Team depth, key contributors, and the chase plan
One of Kohli’s biggest takeaways from the season was the collective output of the squad. In the first 10 matches, eight different RCB players won the Player of the Match award, highlighting the team’s depth. “We’ve had to wait for so long and then just to have a group of guys where you feel like you’re stepping onto the ground, you don’t need to be the one to step up every time,” Kohli said.
He also pointed to the confidence that comes from having teammates who can win games consistently. “These guys are behind you (and) around you, who can win games of cricket for you. We have so many Man of the Match awards spread throughout the group as well.”
Kohli singled out the quality of RCB’s bowling, mentioning world-class names and the impact they made during the campaign. “You look at world-class bowling of Hoff (Josh Hazlewood), Bhuv (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Duff (Jacob Duffy), and Krunal Pandya – you can bank on him as good as ever – Rasikh (Salam) Dar was brilliant this season,” Kohli said.
He credited the balance and standard of the side put together by RCB’s management over the past two seasons. “I felt really relaxed coming in. The team we have gives confidence to see any kind of situation through. (We) knew exactly what to do in the chase.”
Kohli added that RCB stayed focused on their own cricket instead of getting distracted by what opponents might be planning. “Our first target was to go top of the table. We didn’t care what jersey was in front of us thereon. We’re respectful, don’t poke any team. We have mature professionals and experience shines through.”
- Kohli said senior players are expected to deliver when stakes are highest, adding that the chase suited the team’s strengths.
- He believes RCB’s group includes the right balance to handle pressure and still execute plans late in matches.
Mo Bobat’s message, powerplay clarity, and a different kind of pressure
After RCB’s maiden title in 2025, Kohli revealed that a message from Director of Cricket Mo Bobat became a driving force behind the defence. “When we won last year, Mo Bobat said this is not the end of the journey and we had to go back-to-back. At the start of the chase, I told Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) that we need to kill the game in the powerplay. There was total clarity,” Kohli said.
He also believes the current squad is strong across departments, with contributions coming from multiple batting positions. “All the batsmen chipped in as well. I feel so happy to play in a group where we have balance, we have strength, and we are an all-around strong team and that’s why we have the confidence we have on the field right now,” Kohli said.
Kohli admitted that the pressure heading into this year’s final was noticeably different from what the team felt in 2025. “I said to a few of the boys that it doesn’t feel like the same pressure as last year, we knew what kind of ability we have in the group,” he said. He added that finishing top of the table reflected their process, and that the team repeated a simple message: “if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the competition.”
He noted that RCB’s league-stage performance translated into match temperament in the knockout phase. “In the group stage, we ended up topping the league stage and just the skill sets (that) we have, the maturity, the composure of the guys just shown through again tonight and it was a clinical performance brought throughout the tournament,” Kohli said.
Turning points after the break
Kohli also recalled a crucial spell late in the season when RCB were thrown off rhythm after a short break, before regaining momentum. “After the break, we had a couple of losses… I mean, one loss, and then we had a close win against MI,” he said.
He explained that once the team got back to winning ways against Mumbai Indians in Raipur, belief returned quickly. “I’d say that week for us was a bit tricky because we wanted to finish top, but as soon as we got there, (with the) win against MI, the belief kicked back in, then we had a comprehensive win against KKR and then, yeah, just ended up topping the table and just on our way to the finals,” Kohli said.
RCB’s fan support despite the venue: ‘90 per cent’ behind them
Although the final was staged at Gujarat Titans’ home ground, Kohli said he was overwhelmed by the support RCB received from the stands. “We have 14 home games, not seven, we have fans behind us all the time… 90 per cent fans are on our side despite it being GT’s home ground.”
