Royal Challengers BangaloreSuccessful defense of their IPL title received high praise from franchise stalwarts AB de Villierswho cheered Virat KohliHis match-winning innings in the final of IPL 2026 is a perfect example of composure under pressure.
RCB won the IPL trophy for the second time in a row with a spectacular five-wicket win. Gujarat Titans On 31 May at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing the target of 156 runs, the Bengaluru team once again turned to their most reliable batsman Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 75 runs in 42 balls to lead his team to a spectacular win.
AB de Villiers reflects on RCB’s remarkable title defense
Speaking after the final, de Villiers admitted that RCB are far more confident this season than their maiden title-winning campaign a year ago. According to the former South Africa captain, the experience of lifting the trophy earlier helped the team approach the final with more confidence and clarity.
He said that last season’s win held immense emotional significance as the franchise had waited years to win its first IPL title. However, this year’s team looked more organized and better prepared for the challenges of a high-pressure final.
De Villiers said he felt a quiet confidence within the camp before the match and felt the players now understood what was required to succeed on the biggest stage. He described winning consecutive championships as a remarkable achievement and expressed great pride in the growth of the franchise.
“It was definitely a lot easier than last year. Last year was emotional, and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. This year, when I saw Virat before the game started, there was a little more calm confidence. We’ve been here before, now we know how it works and what the formula is. And what a remarkable achievement, back-to-back IPL champions. I couldn’t be more proud.” de Villiers said on JioHotStar.
De Villiers praised Virat Kohli’s match-winning innings
The IPL final initially looked like a tie after Gujarat Titans scored 155/8 in the stipulated 20 overs. washington beautiful Played a fighting role with an unbeaten half-century, but RCB’s disciplined bowling effort prevented the Titans from scoring much bigger scores. When Bengaluru started chasing the target, Kohli once again took the responsibility of taking the innings forward. Mixing caution with aggression, the experienced opener ensured that there were no major setbacks while constantly keeping the required run rate under control.
De Villiers highlighted Kohli’s ability to remain calm in stressful situations and described it as one of the biggest strengths of his batting. He pointed out that finals often require patience and game awareness rather than reckless strokeplay, qualities Kohli has possessed throughout his career.
According to de Villiers, removing Kohli from that chase would have made the match completely different. He credited the Indian superstar for controlling the innings and ensuring that RCB never lost their grip on the match, despite facing quality bowlers including Rashid Khan.
“In the final, if you remove him from the batting line-up chasing the target, everything looks a little different. Rashid Khan is firing from one end, and some of the other GT bowlers are also performing really well, he just brings that calmness. He knows how to chase and finish during the innings.” De Villiers added.
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GT’s bowling plan backfires against Kohli
The former RCB great also feels that Gujarat Titans made a strategic mistake by bowling too much in Kohli’s favorite scoring areas early in the innings. Multiple deliveries on the pads allowed the right-handed batsman to settle quickly and hit boundaries with ease. De Villiers said that once a batsman of Kohli’s caliber gets off to a comfortable start, it becomes very difficult to stop him. He felt that once Kohli found his rhythm and started dictating conditions to the bowlers, the target became easier to chase.
Incidentally, Kohli remained unbeaten till the end and scored the winning runs to cap another memorable IPL campaign. For de Villiers, it was an ideal end to the final that once again showed why Kohli is one of the greatest match-winners in the history of the tournament.
“And it’s very fitting that he was right there at the end, scoring the winning runs. GT was a bit naughty in letting him show his strength. There were a lot of balls on the legs in his first 20-30 runs. If you give one of the best players of all time a start like that, he will always punish you. Once he started flowing, it was just plain sailing, one-way traffic. To be there at the end and call those final moments was absolutely phenomenal, “ De Villiers concluded.
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