IPL Final: How Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore Became Favourites For Title

Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore have been a force to reckon with in the 2016 Indian Premier League. On Sunday, they will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

With world's best destructive batsmen like Kohli, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle at their disposal, their campaign was always supposed to be a smooth affair. However, initially they went through a lean patch, but showed true class to become the first team to enter the final.

A look at the crucial junctures of their 2016 IPL campaign.

Good start vs SRH

Royal Challengers Bangalore's IPL campaign started on a brilliant note, with a 45-run over Sunrisers Hyderabad. After being put into bat, RCB lost Chris Gayle early but a breathtaking 157-run partnership between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers lifted them to 227/4. The bowlers, especially Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Watson did a good job and picked up two wickets apiece to restrict SRH to 182/6.

Lost plot in the middle but win against KXIP turned things around

After getting off to a winning start, RCB wobbled during the mid-stages. Also, some players' off form hampered them and it looked like they would find it difficult to make it to the play-off stage.

In their ninth game against Kings XI Punjab, Chris Jordan held his nerve in the last over to help RCB win the match by one-run and this crucial victory proved decisive in their turnaround this season.

Won last four matches of league stage on the trot

The equation was simple. With six losses in 10 games, RCB had to win their remaining four matches to seal a spot in the play-offs. A loss in any would have ended their chances of being in top four. So the pressure was on.

RCB, unbelievably, responded in style as they won all matches and secured the second spot in the points table. What's good and noticeable was the margin of these victories. Here is a list of them:
- Vs GL (won by 144 runs)
- Vs KKR (won by 9 wickets)
- Vs KXIP (won by 82 runs (D/L))
- Vs DD (won by 6 wickets)

ABD special vs GL

Chasing a target of 159 in Qualifier 1 vs Gujarat Lions, Royal Challengers Bangalore were in all sorts of trouble as they lost five wickets inside the powerplay and it looked certain that the Suresh Raina-led team would win it easily.

But AB de Villiers's magnificent innings of 79* backed up by a well-compiled 33* from Iqbal Abdulla guided RCB to their third IPL final. It also turned out to be one of the best matches of this tournament.