Virat Kohli Explains How RCB's IPL 2026 Triumph Is Different From 2025 Title Win

Virat Kohli battled cramps. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon felt the pain each time he ran. Yet, he continued. The determination to complete a 156-run chase against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final was writ large all over his face. At the end, Kohli stayed unbeaten on 75 to ensure RCB lift their second title in two years. RCB have now joined Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in being the only teams to win back-to-back IPL titles.

Kohli, after the win, was a relieved man. He divulged how the IPL 2026 win was different from the 2025 win.

"(It is the) stuff you dream of. (I) thought of this moment many times, wanting to hit the winning run," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Asked about his 25-ball half-century, Kohli showed why he eternally remains a student of the game. "Such is the demand (that) super young players (are) pushing you to up the ante," he said in jest, but the seriousness of his statement wasn't lost on anyone. "I had to change my mindset, not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs," he added.

What has pleased Kohli this season is the fact that in the first 10 games, there were eight different cricketers who won the Player of the Match award. It is no longer a case of the campaign resting on his shoulders.

"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.

"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. You look at the 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.

The kind of team that the RCB management put on the park during the last two seasons has been a clincher, feels Kohli.

"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." Very carefully, he also spoke about how they didn't care which team was in the opposition, but at the same time, there was respect for each and every opponent.

"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." For him, on big days, it is the duty of the stars to pull the team through.

"Come the big situation, you need the big boys to step up. I know it's a chase and they'll look to get me out early, but I knew we have a champion side that can chase it down with 3-4 overs to go." Having missed the bus for 17 seasons, Kohli remembers what Director of Cricket Mo Bobat told them after their maiden win in 2025.

"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 the current group of RCB players have the balance as well as the strength.

"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," he said.

Kohli said the final this year felt a lot different than last year.

"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.

"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. 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 showed through again tonight and it was a clinical performance throughout the tournament," Kohli said.

Kohli said RCB were tested after a short break in the season, but a close victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur instilled belief back in the group.

"After the break, we had a couple of losses... I mean, one loss, and then we had a close win against MI," he said.

"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 final," Kohli said.

The Narendra Modi Stadium might have been Gujarat Titans' home ground, but "90 per cent" of the fans were supporting RCB. In Kohli's voice, there was only gratitude.

"We have 14 home games, not seven, we have fans behind us all the time... 90 per cent of the fans are on our side despite it being GT's home ground."

With PTI inputs

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Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli IPL 2026 Krunal Pandya Royal Challengers Bengaluru Gujarat Titans Cricket