After winning their first ever IPL title in 2025, it seemed like, the pressure was off from RCB. For the next year, all they had to do was, retain their core squad and get in the players at auction, who they believed, could perform for them. On Sunday, as the Rajat Patidar-team lifted their second consecutive title by beating GT in IPL 2026 final…. all things just seemed to fall in place perfectly. Batters, as well as the bowlers, came up with the goods in each and every match.
Virat Kohli rediscovers T20 game
And with a side possessing such a great balance, veteran Virat Kohli also came up with one of his best shows, where in 16 matches he scored 675 runs at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165. When one says, the pressure was off, it can be gauged from the fact that, in his 19 years of IPL career, Kohli delivered his best SR throughout the season. His previous best was 154 in IPL 2024.
In fact, Kohli himself admitted after winning the title, that pressure didn’t feel like last year. “I said to a few of the boys that it doesn’t feel like the same pressure like last year. We topped the group stage, if we stick to our strengths we’re the best,” he said of JioHotstar.
But as is the two-month journey in the IPL, even the champions lost their way in the middle, slightly. They went on to lose two back-to-back matches in late April and early May, against GT and LSG, only to bounce back stronger. “To be fair, after the break we had a couple of losses, one loss, but then a close win against MI, a clinical win against KKR, that was a tricky week for us; and then we ended up topping the league stage,” he added.
No pressure too much for Kohli
This year, almost every player stepped up. Patidar scored 501 runs in 15 matches, Devdutt Padikkal scored 464 in 16 encounters, Tim David got 305 lower down the order, while Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer too finished with over 200 runs. In the bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked 28, Rasikh Salam had 19, Hazlewood had 15, while Krunal Pandya had 14. So, all in all a very satisfactory performance by all.
“You look at the group, don’t feel like you need to step up every time and there are guys in front and behind you. World class bowlers, Hoff, Bhuvi, Duff, the player of the match awards spread around. I feel great in a group like this, we have got great balance and strength.”
Just too good at 37
At this age, to be able to better yourself, is quite a task. But the RCB veteran showed a lot of motivation to be where he is today. And it wasn’t the game he had to change, but his mindset, that he had to change, to get the results.
“It’s stuff that you dream of. Thought of this moment many times, to win the IPL and stand here. The kind of team you gives you the confidence to see off any kind of situation. Such is the demand of the sport today. You have these young players pushing you hard and asking you to get better. You need to get those 20-30 runs extra. I had to change my mindset, not so much by game, to get those runs. The target was to finish top of the table.“
Cricket
BCCI in denial mode despite India's horrible results under Gautam Gambhir
