AHMEDABAD: In the end, it had to be him.Virat Kohli applied the finishing touches appropriately as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched a second successive Indian Premier League title, chasing down 156 to defeat Gujarat Titans by five wickets in a one-sided final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night.‘The King’ Kohli smashed Arshad Khan to long-on for six to end things with an over over, capping off a dominant performance.
Kohli’s unbeaten 75 off 42 balls (9 x 4, 3 x 6), produced a scintillating knock under pressure, resulting in a 25-ball half-century, the fastest of his IPL career, ensuring that the brilliance of the former RCB bowlers did not go in vain. As chants of his name echoed through a stadium packed with more than 90,000 spectators, the contemporary star delivered another memorable performance on the biggest stage.RCB thus became only the third team after Chennai Super Kings (2010-11) and Mumbai Indians (2019-20) to win back-to-back IPL titles, a remarkable turnaround in a franchise that had been haunted by near misses for a long time.
Placed after losing the toss, the Gujarat Titans never recovered from the early blows and were restricted to a modest 155 for eight. Josh Hazlewood (2-37) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-29) set the tone for the Powerplay with solid, disciplined lengths on a lively surface that provided bounce and carry.
The precious wickets of Shubman Gill (10) and Sai Sudharsen (12) broke the backbone of GT’s batting.After that, Raseekh Salam ensured that there was no relief for the hosts, and ended the match with a score of 3-27. The wickets of seamer Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan highlighted an outstanding campaign in which he took 19 wickets in 12 matches, leading to a strong demand for selection for India. Krunal Pandya completed the side superbly, returning the score to 1-23 and dismissing Jos Buttler (19) with a clever piece of bowling.Read also: Virat Kohli seals the title with six goals, and Anushka Sharma launches into a wild celebrationIf GT crosses 150, it is largely due to Washington Sundar’s batting 50 off 37 balls. Walking into a precarious situation, the all-rounder showed his composure and determination, helping the Giants recover from 63 for two at the halfway mark to add 92 in the last 10 overs. However, the effort was never enough to turn things around. The Giants’ downfall stemmed from poor shot selection and an inability to build partnerships.
Gill pulled Hazlewood poorly, leading to a simple catch on Rajat Patidar, which set the tone.
Sudharsan soon followed, outpacing the bouncer from Bhuvneshwar. At 26 to two, GT was already in a late position, exposing an untested middle order.Also Read: Virat Kohli Reveals His Last IPL Wish For LifeTheir highest partnership was just 29 for the third wicket between Buttler and Sindhu, a reversal of the innings that never really gained momentum. There were only three passes in total, highlighting RCB’s control of the ball and GT’s lack of intent. RCB’s chase was emphatic from the start. Kohli and Impact player Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16) added a quick 62 in just 27 balls to take early control. Although Rashid Khan briefly raised hopes with a double in the ninth over, when he dismissed Patidar (15) and Krunal (1), there was no doubt about the final score with Kohli’s brilliant touch.Read also: Record broken! Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer scripted the fastest fifty in IPL final history as RCB’s storm chaser