After their monumental triumph in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, delivered a stirring dressing-room speech, urging his players to become "addicted" to the feeling of winning trophies.
RCB successfully defended their title at the Narendra Modi Stadium, defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) to become only the third team in IPL history to win back-to-back championships. In an address to the victorious squad, Bobat stated that this historic achievement is just the beginning of a dominant era for the franchise.
With the title win, RCB became only the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to retain the IPL title, cementing their place among the competition's most successful sides. "I'm going to ask you to do something. I'm going to ask you to really, really make sure we get addicted to this feeling, because this is a start.
Not many teams have won back-to-back IPLs. It's happened twice before. So get addicted to the feeling, because it's that feeling that drives the hunger to go again next year," Bobat said in a video shared by RCB on their social media. "It's that addiction to winning and winning that trophy and sharing these moments that drives us on," he added.
Having won the toss, captain Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first, a decision that paid dividends almost immediately as RCB seamers bulldozed GT’s prominent batting line-up with their short ball ploy before restricting the home side to 155/8. RCB's response could not have begun in more emphatic fashion.
Virat Kohli (75 not out) and Venkatesh Iyer (32) tore into the chase, bringing up the team fifty in just 3.3 overs — the fastest fifty by a side in an IPL final. The opening partnership immediately seized control of the contest and placed GT under immense pressure and reached 161/5 with 12 balls to spare to wrap up the win.