Royal Challengers Bengaluru collected a second IPL trophy in as many seasons on Sunday evening, easing past Gujarat Titans by five wickets and confirming what Virat Kohli called an “all-round strong team” performance. Only Chennai Super Kings (2010-11) and Mumbai Indians (2019-20) had previously managed back-to-back titles; RCB now join that small, rather smug club.
Kohli, whose unbeaten half-century guided the chase, sounded markedly relaxed afterwards.
“Didn’t feel like the same pressure as last year,” he said. “We knew what kind of ability we have in the group… if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the comp.”
The captain went further, listing the depth around him. “You look at world-class bowling, like Hoff [Josh Hazlewood], Bhuv [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], Duff [Jacob Duffy]… Krunal Pandya, you can bank on him as good as ever. Rasik Dar was brilliant this season. And all the batsmen chipped in as well.”
That collective effort was visible in the final. Hazlewood nipped out both Titans openers inside three overs, Bhuvneshwar’s cutters kept Hardik Pandya quiet at the death, and a short cameo from Devdutt Padikkal ensured the chase never veered into panic. RCB’s total control meant the trophy was more or less theirs by the 18th over, but the manner – unhurried, methodical – pleased head coach Andy Flower almost as much as the silverware itself.
Tom Moody, speaking on television, believed the real story was Kohli’s freedom. “He is now playing for fun,” Moody said. “You can tell from the way he sets fields and the way he bats. He’s proved the critics wrong.”
Not that Kohli was alone in lifting the heavier mental load. With Faf du Plessis unavailable mid-season, Rajat Patidar inherited the armband in the league phase. The hand-over was seamless: RCB topped the table, then tip-toed through the knock-outs without fuss.
“It feels superb [to win back-to-back],” Patidar admitted. “When we came here, there were a lot of memories of the last year… At the same time, we had to be more in the present. I never dreamed of that, to be a captain and lift a trophy for RCB. I think it was all written, and I’m grateful for it.”
Varun Aaron, the former India quick who spent time with RCB as a bowling consultant this season, applauded Patidar’s calm exterior. “What Patidar has done is amazing,” Aaron told the host broadcaster. “He barely changed expression all tournament yet the dressing-room fed off him.”
So why were Titans, champions in 2022 and runners-up in 2023, so muted? Losing Shubman Gill to a Hazlewood outswinger removed their chief tempo-setter, and an experimental middle order never quite adjusted to a surface that offered just a hint of two-paced bounce. Hardik Pandya’s 38 off 28 looked handy in isolation; in context it left Titans at least 15 light.
From there, Bengaluru’s chase was straightforward. Kohli worked singles, Padikkal punched the slower ball through point, and Glenn Maxwell reverse-lapped a couple over short third to kill any lingering doubt. There was still room for minor jeopardy – a mini-collapse from 110 for 1 to 128 for 4 – but Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya guided the side home with seven balls unused.
Beyond the obvious glow of keeping the trophy, what impressed RCB insiders most was the even spread of contributions. Eleven different players won at least one Player-of-the-Match award during the campaign, and the bowling unit boasted the lowest economy rate in overs 16-20. Flower believes such variety is useful insurance. “Some day Hazlewood might go the distance and then Duff or Rasik will step up. That’s been the theme,” he said.
Kohli noted a similar safety net. “When you are stepping on to the ground, you don’t need to be the one to step up every time. There is a guy behind you, around you, who can win games of cricket for you.”
For Titans, the off-season questions revolve around batting balance and whether Mohammed Shami’s absence through injury left too much on the spinners late on. But Sunday night belonged to a Bengaluru squad that appears at ease with expectation. They celebrated modestly – a lap of honour, a few photographs, then back to the hotel – because, to borrow Moody’s phrase, they were mostly “having fun”.
In a league that rarely forgives complacency, RCB have discovered the value of collective poise. The title defence was not flawless – a solitary blip against Mumbai reminded them of that – yet the response was immediate, emphatic and, crucially, repeatable. Much like their short-arm jabs through the covers, they now know exactly where the boundary lies.
