IPL 2026: Virat Kohli Reflects On RCB’s Historic Maiden Title Triumph

Virat Kohli finally ended his 18-year trophy drought in the Indian Premier League last year as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged Punjab Kings away to win their maiden title.

It's a new season, but it'll be a different feeling for Kohli as this time around, he won't enter the season with the curse of not winning the trophy yet, but with the tag of being a part of the defending champions.

Virat, who has been associated with RCB since the inception of the league opens up on the highs of winning the maiden IPL title and gave a sneak peek into what went inside him while witnessing the historic feat

“The whole journey for 18 years flashed before my eyes,” Virat Kohli reflects on RCB’s IPL triumph

“It was a very special night for all of us at RCB. I have been here since day one and so has Ramesh Mane [Team Masseur and Caretaker]. We are probably the oldest members of the RCB group,” Kohli said.

It was RCB's first-ever IPL final since 2016 and despite no prior history of lifting the cup Kohli revealed that the team entered the match with a sense of confidence.

“When we reached the finals, I felt a sense of calm confidence. But you also understand it's not going to be a cakewalk. It's a Final and there is another team who has played really well to get there. Obviously, they have also beaten a lot of good sides so they are also very confident of what they want to do.”

Kohli added that instead of being bogged down by their unsuccessful history, they used it as additional fuel to charge themselves up for the big day and make it count.

He said that the team believed that in the last few years the competition has intensified in the league and if they have reached the final of merit which intensified the believe in the team go over the line.

“Given the history of the near misses and the almost moments of the past where we reached the finals and we could not win. I think that gave us extra motivation to hold our nerve. Because the league has become so much more competitive, we must have played really good cricket to get to the finals. It's not a fluke; it's not by chance. We have beaten some really good teams, and we are an amazing team. Who have earned the right to be here on this day.”

Virat Kohli also reflected on the surreal feeling of going past the line after trying hard for such a long time and how all the wait, pain, and agony of 18 years came in front of his eyes as the final moments of the match inched closer.

“All in all, it was an amazing night for all of us. It was quite surreal for me honestly, quite unbelievable when it was all unfolding in the end. So many things flashed in front of your eyes. The whole journey for 18 years. All the ups and downs, all the good moments, bad moments. It's like the accumulation of all of that is unfolding in front of you and that is going to happen in the next ten minutes. It's a very difficult thing to explain. It's a thing to experience. And that experience I will never ever forget.”

He also delved into the final moments of the game and how the mixture of tension and ecstasy surrounded him, when a win was almost looking inevitable for RCB.

“Especially the last over where you know the game is sealed. Hoping that Josh doesn't bowl a no ball which he never does. There was quite confidence but still as I said, you are hoping for the perfect result. So, knowing that the game is beyond them and then to wait for those last three balls was probably the toughest part of the night.”

RCB will face SRH in the opening match of the IPL 2026 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. It will be the first match at that venue since the tragic stampede that occurred there last year during their victory celebration.