TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: Virat Kohli never knew how to hide his feelings. He wears it proudly on his sleeve and often on his face. And on Sunday night, under the lights of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, there was not a single moment when he was not fully invested in the occasion.Even before the first ball was bowled, Kohli’s power was impossible to miss. As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) players gathered in one place, Kohli knelt down, surrounded by his teammates, and delivered an impassioned speech in his trademark style. Every gesture carries a purpose. Every word carries faith. From that moment on, he looked like a man possessed.
He celebrated every wicket for Gujarat Titans (GT) as if it was a winning moment.
Each dot ball sent a roar. Each breakthrough brought clenched fists and unfiltered emotion. As more than 90,000 spectators chanted “Kohli, Kohli” in unison, the man who had built his career on the grandest of stages was back in the spotlight.Chasing a modest target of 156 in the IPL final, RCB cruised out of the blocks before losing some quick wickets. It was a moment that has haunted the franchise in the past.
It was also the moment that could have reopened old scars for Kohli, who has suffered more than his share of heartbreak in the IPL finals.However, this time, he wasn’t ready to let the story slip.
Calmly amidst the chaos, Kohli kept up the pace of the chase with the confidence of a man who has lived through every possible scenario in cricket. The greatest chase master the game has ever seen took over the reins, guiding RCB towards their second successive IPL title with an unbeaten 75 innings.
It was fitting that the six winners also came from Kohli’s willow.RCB defeated GT by five wickets. Such was RCB’s dominance that there were 20 balls left to bowl as they won the match. Rajat Patidar also became the third captain to win two consecutive IPL titles after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.Earlier, RCB’s pace battery produced a clinical bowling performance to restrict GT to 155 for 8.After opting to bowl, Rajat Patidar’s side executed their plans perfectly, hitting relentlessly powerful shots and denying the hosts any momentum.
Shubman Gill (10) and Sai Sudharsen (12) showed early spark but fell in quick succession to Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar respectively.Nishant Sindhu’s promotion to third failed to do well, as Rasikh Salamdar kept him out for 20, while Jos Buttler never looked comfortable during his 23-ball 19 and was outplayed by Krunal Pandya with all his experience.RCB’s grip has never loosened. Hazlewood trapped Arshad Khan with another trick to the short ball, while Rasekh finished the bowlers’ pick with 3 for 27.
Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood took two wickets each.Washington Sundar’s 50 off 37 balls gave the unbeaten GT nothing to defend, but their 155 for 8 looked well below par against a formidable RCB side bidding for a second successive IPL title.For years, RCB have often been defined by Kohli. They had the biggest star in cricket but struggled to build an identity that matched his exacting standards. The chapters began with hope and expectation before fading away when it mattered most.
Even after Kohli stepped down as captain, the pattern remained largely unchanged.Everything changed in 2025.RCB took a bold decision to hand over the captaincy to Rajat Patidar and ended an 18-year wait for an IPL trophy. Sometimes a nickname transforms a team. Sometimes it unlocks a belief that cannot be taught. Sometimes, it takes a team title to unlock the beast within. This seems to be exactly what happened with Rajat Patidar-led RCB.Barring the defeat in Guwahati, where Vaibhav Suryavanshi produced an impressive performance, RCB have looked almost unstoppable this season. They attacked with the bat, hunted in combination with the ball and carried an aura that few teams could match.Without a doubt, they were the most complete team in the competition. Each base appears covered. Every player understands his role. It is fitting that they now play with the same aggression, conviction and courage that defined the greatest cricketer of all time.Virat Kohli may no longer be the captain of RCB, but his spirit runs through this team. On the biggest night of the season, it was impossible not to see her.Brief Scores: GT: 155/8: (Washington Sundar 50*, Nishant Sindhu 20, Raseekh Salam 3/27) Lost to RCB: 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75*, Venkatesh Iyer 32, Rashid Khan 2/25).