Virat Kohli has never been the kind of star who hides what he feels. At Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night, there was hardly a beat when his emotions weren’t on full display—intensity before the first ball, urgency during the big moments, and joy that arrived instantly with every RCB breakthrough. With more than 90,000 supporters chanting “Kohli, Kohli,” the former captain once again turned the spotlight into something he owned.
RCB’s captaincy energy and Kohli’s match-winning calm
Even before play began, Kohli’s intensity was impossible to miss. As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) huddled, he dropped to his knees in the middle of the group and delivered an animated pep talk in his unmistakable style. From that instant, his body language looked like it had a single purpose. He celebrated each Gujarat Titans (GT) wicket as if it was the deciding moment of the final. Dot balls brought immediate noise from the stands, and every breakthrough was met with clenched fists and visible passion. In a chase, he didn’t just react—he controlled the tempo.
- RCB were chasing a target of 156 in the IPL final and began with intent, though a few early wickets meant the chase briefly threatened to slip into familiar territory.
- For Kohli, however, the response was composed. He paced the chase with the certainty of a batter who has lived through every possible final script.
- That control turned into dominance: Kohli carried RCB towards victory with an unbeaten 75, while the winning six also came off Kohli’s bat.
- RCB ultimately overhauled the target with 20 balls remaining, finishing on 161/5 in 18 overs and winning the final by five wickets.
The chase also carried a special chapter for RCB’s captain Rajat Patidar, who became only the third captain to win back-to-back IPL titles, joining the company of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
GT restricted to 155/8 after RCB chose to bowl
Earlier in the match, after opting to field, RCB produced a disciplined bowling effort to limit GT to 155 for 8. The plan was executed with precision—attack the right lengths, keep the pressure steady, and stop the hosts from finding rhythm.
- Shubman Gill made 10 and Sai Sudharsan scored 12, both showing early promise before getting dismissed in quick succession.
- Josh Hazlewood removed Gill, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar accounted for Sudharsan.
- Nishant Sindhu’s move up the order to No. 3 did not bring the desired payoff as Rasikh Salam Dar struck to dismiss him for 20.
- Jos Buttler struggled for timing and departed after making 19 off 23 balls.
- Krunal Pandya then used experience and guile to outfox Buttler further in the sequence of wickets.
RCB’s grip never loosened from there. Hazlewood continued the short-ball approach and trapped Arshad Khan, while Rasikh finished as the leading wicket-taker with figures of 3 for 27. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood each claimed two wickets in total.
Washington Sundar offered GT a defendable foundation with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, but 155 for 8 still looked insufficient against a side chasing a second consecutive IPL title.
From Kohli’s shadow to a new RCB identity in 2025
For years, RCB were often inseparable from Virat Kohli. They had the sport’s biggest superstar, yet struggled to build a wider identity capable of matching his relentless standards. Campaigns would begin with hope and expectation, only for momentum to fade when it mattered most—an issue that persisted even after Kohli stepped down as captain.
That changed in 2025. RCB made a bold decision by handing the captaincy to Rajat Patidar, ending an 18-year wait for an IPL trophy. At times, a title can reshape a team’s belief; at other moments, it can unlock something that coaching alone cannot. In this case, the effect appears to have been immediate—exactly the kind of “beast inside” that often shows up once a side believes it belongs at the very top.
Despite a defeat in Guwahati, where Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced a stunning masterclass, RCB have looked close to unstoppable this season. They have attacked with the bat, hunted in packs with the ball, and built an aura that few teams could match. Their completeness has stood out—every role understood, every aspect covered, and an approach that now mirrors the aggression, conviction, and fearlessness long associated with RCB’s greatest cricketer.
Virat Kohli may no longer be the captain, but his spirit still runs through the team. On the biggest night of the season, it was impossible to miss.
Brief scores: GT 155/8 (Washington Sundar 50*, Nishant Sindhu 20, Rasikh Salam 3/27) lost to RCB 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75*, Venkatesh Iyer 32, Rashid Khan 2/25).
