The king in the west: Virat Kohli’s stunning chase powers RCB to back-to-back IPL crowns
Instead, it was an evening as bad as Ahmeda for Shubman Gill’s men.
On a stage draped in blue, in front of a crowd that challenged the home team to a second IPL crown, Royal Challengers Bengaluru once again came like champions unburdened by history. They carried certainty. They had faith. And they carried Virat Kohli, as they often did in the last two seasons.
Chasing a modest but formidable 156, RCB were never reckless. They were brutal. Kohli, the grand master of the chase and the heartthrob of this series, once again delivered a knockout innings, managing a half-century that sucked the anxiety out of the contest and the hope out of Gujarat’s defence. This wasn’t his most explosive shot. It didn’t have to be that way. This was a classic Kohli pursuit; restrained, clever and completely inevitable.
The numbers will show another fifty. The finale will be remembered for much more than that.
For a series that has spent nearly two decades as cricket’s great unfinished story, this felt like the final confirmation that last year’s title was not an emotional one-off. This is a team that now understands how to win the biggest games. Two championships in two years is not a breakthrough. This is the beginning of a legacy.
Yet Gujarat refused to facilitate this. After being restricted to 155, a total that always felt 20 runs short on a calm Ahmedabad surface, the Titans fought back with the doggedness that has defined much of their brief IPL history. Rashid Khan, magnificent as ever, dragged the contest deeper than it deserved. His magic was a reminder that the class survived even when the scoreboard didn’t cooperate. Each small blow he received briefly reignited faith. Each dot ball increased the noise levels.
And then there was Rajat Patidar, the quiet captain who transformed Royal Challengers Bengaluru from cricket’s underachievers into a championship machine.
A year after leading RCB to their long-awaited maiden IPL title, Patidar is all set to make history again by becoming the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to guide them to back-to-back IPL titles. If last season was about breaking an 18-year curse, this season was about building the mentality of a champion.
Patidar’s numbers don’t scream for attention but his captaincy does. RCB topped the league stage, thrashed Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and entered the final carrying the assurance of a side that no longer panics under pressure. The 31-year-old has fostered a dressing room culture built on clarity and calm, insisting repeatedly throughout the season that every game was “just another game” despite rising expectations around the title defence.
His fingerprints were all over the campaign. Be it relying on Josh Hazlewood in crunch overs, bolstering Krunal Pandya’s experience on spin-friendly surfaces, or ensuring Virat Kohli can play the anchor role without the burden of pushing the pace, Patidar’s tactical calls have consistently paid off.
Most importantly, Patidar has achieved something few RCB leaders before him have been able to do: make the franchise feel bigger than its baggage. For years, RCB has been defined by near misses, heartbreak, and dependence on individual brilliance.
But Gujarat’s bowlers were left to carry a burden that should never have been theirs alone.
The real disappointment lay in the batting.
Too many starters were lost. Many big names passed to the final without leaving a trace. At no point did he achieve the momentum expected from a side full of innings, hitters and match-winners. The scoreboard moved but never rose. The pressure continued and RCB’s attack, under Josh Hazlewood’s discipline and Krunal Pandya’s control, pressed relentlessly.
By the time we were halfway through, the scenario was already starting to look familiar.
RCB were the better side for most of the season. They entered the final as favorites. They played like favorites. And when the moment came to call it quits, they handed the chase over to the one man who had spent nearly two decades making impossible pursuits routine.
Kohli has worn many labels throughout his career, such as superstar, run machine, icon, leader.
The most appropriate title for nights like this is King Kohli.
And his kingdom grew even bigger with an IPL trophy shining under the lights of Ahmedabad
