Virat Kohli delivered a defining finish as Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained their Indian Premier League title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31. Kohli remained unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls and completed the chase with a six, triggering loud celebrations from the crowd as Bengaluru secured back-to-back IPL crowns. The result marked a major milestone for a player who has spent his entire IPL career with the franchise since the tournament began in 2008.
The victory carried special emotional weight for Kohli, who had earlier been seen in tears after Bengaluru ended a 17-season wait for the IPL trophy last year. This time, he stood composed as he reflected on finally sealing a title-winning moment he had imagined many times. Kohli said it was a dream day to be at the crease and hit the winning runs, underscoring how deeply the achievement resonated with him after years of near misses.
Bengaluru’s title defense also added to the significance of the moment. Kohli noted that winning consecutive championships meant more because of the team’s long and difficult journey in the league. Before their triumph last year, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had fallen short in three IPL finals, losing the title matches in 2009, 2011 and 2016. The back-to-back successes now place the franchise on a stronger historical footing after years of being defined by promise, popularity and disappointment.
At 37, Kohli also highlighted his ongoing evolution in the shortest format of the game. Although he now plays only one-day internationals for India, he remained Bengaluru’s leading scorer in the 2026 IPL season with 675 runs. During the campaign, he recorded his fastest IPL half-century and moved his career totals to 68 fifties and nine centuries, further strengthening his status as one of the tournament’s most productive batters.
Kohli said he takes pride in improving continuously and finding areas where he can adapt. That mindset, he explained, has been central to his longevity in T20 cricket, where batting demands have changed rapidly over the years. With a new generation of aggressive hitters shaping the modern game, Kohli said adjusting to those trends has been important to staying effective and sustaining his place among the league’s all-time greats.
His career IPL run tally now stands at 9,336, the highest in the tournament’s history. For Kohli, the title defense represented both personal fulfillment and the culmination of a long franchise journey, turning a long-imagined six into the defining image of another championship season.
