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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are still enjoying the celebrations of their second consecutive IPL title, but Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in awe of Virat Kohli getting the Player of the Match honour. Kohli received the honor for his unbeaten match-winning innings in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
However, Ashwin feels that another RCB star deserved the Player of the Match honor for what he achieved in the 2026 season. It was another memorable night for Royal Challengers Bangalore as they defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final on Sunday (May 31) and became the third team in IPL history to win consecutive titles.
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar lead RCB to IPL 2026 glory
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar created a stir in the final of IPL 2026. The experienced duo played a big role in RCB’s IPL 2026 title-winning campaign and helped the team defend their crown. The seamer gave RCB early success by dismissing the dangerous Sai Sudarshan during the powerplay and later dismissed Jason Holder in the death overs.
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His disciplined bowling helped restrict Gujarat Titans to 155/8 in the summit clash. Bhuvneshwar finished with impressive figures of 2/29 from his four overs. Chasing the target on the difficult surface of Ahmedabad, Kohli once again showed why he remains the biggest match-winner for RCB.
The flamboyant right-handed batsman gave a great start to RCB along with Venkatesh Iyer and continued the chase with an unbeaten inning of 75 runs in 42 balls against Gujarat Titans. After this, the former captain ended the match by hitting a powerful six, giving RCB a five-wicket win.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar deserved major awards in IPL 2026: Ravichandran Ashwin
After the match, Kohli was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant efforts, but Ravichandran Ashwin believes Bhuvneshwar Kumar was one of the biggest reasons behind RCB’s successful IPL 2026 campaign and should have been given the top individual honor of the tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “Bhuvneshwar Kumar was brilliant throughout the tournament. For me, he should have been player of the tournament and also player of the match.”
Notably, the Player of the Tournament award was given to Rajasthan Royals’ young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Well, Bhuvneshwar had a great IPL 2026 season with RCB. The experienced fast bowler took 28 wickets in 16 matches at an excellent economy rate of 7.95.
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Even though he missed out on the Purple Cap, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience, smart bowling and leadership proved crucial in RCB’s successful title defence. Kohli, on the other hand, finished as RCB’s leading run-scorer with 675 runs in 16 matches with an impressive strike rate of 165.85.
Aakash Chopra warns RCB after winning IPL title twice in a row
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra feels that RCB have fielded a very strong team but their success largely depends on key players being available throughout the tournament. Cricket pundits have stressed that injuries could become a serious concern for them next season, as they may not find many quality replacement options in the 2027 auction.
“The problem with RCB is that they are just one injury away from things getting worse, and I really hope that doesn’t happen. Fingers crossed, toes crossed; make sure everyone is fit because in the mini-auction you will get limited backup,” Chopra said on Ashwin’s YouTube video.