Virat Kohli struck form with the bat as Royal Challengers Bengaluru captured a second consecutive Indian Premier League crown on Sunday. Chasing a target of 156 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the veteran batter remained unbeaten on 75, guiding RCB to victory with 12 balls still left. His closing burst included a straight boundary followed by a six over long-on, and he celebrated in a distinctive fashion. In the stands, Kohli’s wife, actress Anushka Sharma, struggled to contain her feelings as the moment swung RCB’s way, while Kohli also sent a flying kiss in her direction—an exchange that drew an even bigger reaction from her.
For someone who has carried intense expectations for years, Kohli acknowledged that the current RCB squad does not rely on him to produce a match-winning contribution every time. Speaking to the host broadcaster, he said the team’s structure and mindset have changed, allowing players to share the load rather than placing the entire responsibility on one individual.
“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 told the broadcaster.
He added that the dressing room has multiple ways to win matches, highlighting how teammates can take over when it matters. “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 also pointed to specific bowling options within the side, naming Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, and Krunal Pandya as key threats. “You look at world-class bowling of Hoff, Bhuv, Duff, and Krunal Pandya—you can bank on him as good as ever. Rasikh Dar was brilliant this season,” he said.
Discussing the team’s overall balance, Kohli stressed that RCB’s current unit possesses both strength and variety across departments. “Kohli also said the current group of RCB players have the balance as well as the strength.”
He further described the confidence the side has developed through the way contributions have come from multiple batsmen. “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 noted that this year’s final felt noticeably different from the previous campaign, particularly in how pressure was managed. “Kohli said the final this year felt a lot different than last year.”
He explained that the squad had approached the occasion with a clearer understanding of their abilities. “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.”
According to Kohli, topping the league table reflected the groundwork done by the team throughout the season. “We topped the table, there’s a reason why we got here first and we just said one thing: if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the competition and there’s a reason why we’ve done well so far.”
He also linked RCB’s progress to consistency and composure shown during the league stage. “In the group stage, we ended up topping the league stage and just the skill sets, the maturity, the composure of the guys just shown through again tonight and it was a clinical performance brought throughout the tournament,” Kohli said.
Kohli added that RCB faced a moment of scrutiny after a short break during the season, but a key result against Mumbai Indians helped reset belief. “Kohli said RCB were tested after a short break for them in the season but a close victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur instilled the belief back in the group.”
He recalled the sequence of results and how the side regained momentum. “After the break, we had a couple of losses… I mean, one loss, and then we had a close win against MI.”
Finally, Kohli described how the group’s mindset shifted quickly once they returned to winning ways, before building towards the knockout stage. “I’d say that week for us was a bit tricky because we wanted to finish top, but as soon as we got there, 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,” he said.
