Virat Kohli believes Royal Challengers Bengaluru's successful IPL title defence was built on conviction rather than pressure, with the defending champions trusting their strengths throughout a campaign that ended with a commanding victory over Gujarat Titans in the final.
After guiding the chase with an unbeaten 75, Kohli explained that the atmosphere within the dressing room was markedly different from last season, when RCB ended their long wait for a maiden IPL trophy. “Well, 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. We topped the table. There’s a reason why we got here first,” Kohli said after RCB clinched a second consecutive title. The former RCB captain said the team never lost sight of the formula that had made them the competition's most consistent side during the league stage.
“And we just said one thing: if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the comp. And there’s a reason why we have done well so far in the group stage. We ended up topping the league stage.” That confidence was reflected in the final as Bengaluru produced a clinical all-round display to become only the third franchise in IPL history to defend its title.
“And yeah, it’s just the skill sets we have, the maturity, the composure of the guys just shone through again tonight and it was a clinical performance,” the veteran batter said. However, Kohli admitted there was a period after the mid-season break when RCB's path to the final was not entirely straightforward.
A defeat followed by a nervy win over Mumbai Indians briefly tested the team's momentum. “To be fair, after the break, we had a couple of losses. I mean, one loss and then we had a close win against MI. I’d say that week for us was a bit tricky because we wanted to finish top,” he stated.
According to Kohli, the narrow victory against Mumbai became a turning point in the campaign as he said, “But as soon as we got that 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 finals.”
Kohli reserved his greatest praise for the squad's depth, highlighting how match-winners emerged throughout the season, removing the burden from any one individual. “It’s amazing. We’ve had to wait for so long. And then, you know, 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.
There’s guys behind you, around you, who can win games of cricket for you,” the former India captain noted. He pointed to the contributions of both the bowling attack and the batting unit, singling out several players who played crucial roles during the title run.
“We have so many Man of the Match awards cranked throughout the group as well. I mean, you look at world-class bowling like Hoff, Bhuvi, Duffy. I mean, Krunal Pandya, you know, you can bank on him, as good as ever. Rasikh Dar was brilliant this season.
All the batsmen chipped in as well,” Kohli mentioned. For Kohli, that balance across departments is what ultimately separated RCB from the rest of the field. “So I feel so happy to play in a group where we have balance, we have strength, and we are an all-round strong team. And yeah, that’s why we have the confidence we have on the field right now,” he concluded.