Image source, Reuters
Virat Kohli’s pivotal contribution of 75 runs powered Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a five-wicket victory against Gujarat Titans, securing their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
On Sunday night in Ahmedabad, cricket superstar Kohli notched an undefeated 75 runs off 42 balls, including nine boundaries and three sixes, playing a decisive innings.
RCB had restricted Gujarat Titans to 155/8 runs. The final, appearing one-sided, was sealed in RCB’s favor with 12 balls remaining.
As the RCB players headed onto the field, 37-year-old Kohli celebrated by raising his bat towards the dressing room.
Kohli praised RCB as the ‘best team’ and lauded the players’ ‘impressive performance.’ His team had claimed their first IPL title in 18 years in 2025.
“I told some of the guys that this time, there was no pressure like last year. We knew our potential from the group stages. We were at the top…”
“The skills, maturity, and composure we had were demonstrated once again.”
The disciplined bowling of RCB’s Rasikh Salam Dar proved decisive in the win, taking three wickets for 27 runs. Experienced bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets each.
Gujarat Titans’ Washington Sundar scored an unbeaten 50, while England’s Jos Buttler was dismissed for 19 runs by being stumped.
The Rise and Challenges of RCB
Image source, Reuters
For years, RCB was hampered by the very strength of their team becoming a weakness.
Star cricketer Virat Kohli has been with RCB since its inaugural season.
Similarly, West Indies’ Chris Gayle and South Africa’s AB de Villiers played major roles in making RCB popular among fans.
Despite being three of the most successful T20 batsmen, RCB fans were often disheartened as the team failed to secure the IPL title. The presence of these star players became the team’s biggest challenge, as the focus centered only on them.
Although they delivered stellar batting performances each season, RCB could not clinch the title for 17 years.
Additionally, during this period, the team lacked bowlers who could create a distinct identity apart from these batsmen.
However, just ahead of the 2025 ‘mega auction,’ significant changes began for RCB.
Breaking the Old Structure
RCB identified its weaknesses and began improvements during the mega auction.
Central to these changes was the transition led by former top player and current successful coach Andy Flower, who shifted the team’s focus from reliance on just a few stars.
Even before the auction, decisions were made to retain Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal as core players.
Andy Flower focused on enhancing batting strength by bringing in bowlers and all-rounders like Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David and Krunal Pandya.
Similarly, trust in bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Rasikh Salam Dar proved pivotal for the team.
Following their 2025 title, RCB sought to further strengthen its squad by replacing Liam Livingstone and Lungi Ngidi with Wanindu Hasaranga and Jakob Duffy.
These changes greatly benefitted the team this year. Hasaranga scored 209 runs at an average of 18.6 in six matches, while Duffy took nine wickets in six games.
Rajat Patidar’s Captaincy
Image source, Reuters
After leading RCB to their second championship, Rajat Patidar said, “I never imagined that I would become RCB’s captain and win a title.”
Yet, with two title wins in just two seasons, he has established himself as one of the successful IPL captains.
Appointed captain before the start of the 2025 season, many were surprised. However, he combined excellent batting with strong leadership this season.
Last year, he scored 312 runs in 15 matches; this season, he made 501 runs in 15 games.
His true capability shines in captaincy, displaying calmness and composure even in challenging situations over the past two seasons.
Cricket legends commend Patidar’s ability to utilize players effectively based on their skills.
His player management, including rotating bowlers and resting some players, has been praised in both seasons.
After the final, Jitesh Sharma acknowledged the support he received from captain Patidar despite not performing well himself.
“The team values good players. It doesn’t matter if you are a star or not; if you can contribute to the team, it is recognized and appreciated.”
Virat Kohli has spoken of Patidar’s captaincy: “Rajat Patidar is a name you will remember for many years.”
This sentiment is now coming true. Kohli himself played a crucial role in this season’s victory, scoring 675 runs compared to 657 runs in the previous championship season.
Pace Bowling Strength
Image source, Getty Images
The biggest transformation in RCB has been in their bowling, particularly pace bowling.
Long-time captain Virat Kohli hailed the current bowling lineup as “world-class.”
“We have bowlers we can trust in any situation,” he said.
Last year, Josh Hazlewood took the most wickets for RCB with 22, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya claimed 17 wickets each.
This year, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the leading bowler, taking 28 wickets and delivering 378 dot balls—reflecting excellent bowling control.
The trusted Rasikh took 19 wickets over 12 matches, while Hazlewood claimed 15 wickets.
Krunal Pandya maintained his impact in spin bowling by taking 14 wickets.
These statistics demonstrate RCB’s current fully balanced bowling unit, which is why they were considered one of the top contenders before this IPL season began.
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