The moment the ball sailed into the night sky, time seemed to pause. The entire RCB dugout stormed onto the field, leaping, screaming, embracing their ‘King’.
Virat Kohli had finished it in style, a whipped six off Arshad Khan to seal a five-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans. Helmet off, arms outstretched, he soaked it all in. RCB were IPL 2026 champions. Again.
The sea of red at the Narendra Modi Stadium, unbothered by the scorching Ahmedabad heat, finally exhaled. Fans had travelled from Mumbai, Jodhpur, Bengaluru, and beyond, all for one sight – a smile on Kohli’s face. And it was worth every mile, every drop of sweat. RCB repaid their ‘12th-man army’ with a second consecutive title, sealed fittingly by their talisman amid deafening ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants.
Given everything he has endured in his international journey, this second straight IPL title feels like solace, like closure. The night belonged to Kohli. RCB’s most loyal warrior since day one.
On Sunday, he didn’t just play the role; he became it.
Despite a few hiccups in the chase of 155, RCB always looked in control with Kohli at the helm. The moment he reached his fifty, the stadium transformed into a theatre – over 90,000 voices in unison, fireworks painting the sky, the atmosphere nothing short of surreal.
Hunger defines Kohli, not the records. He still plays like a teenager with a point to prove. Despite 65-plus IPL fifties, he chose the final for his fastest. Expected to anchor, he went after Rabada and Siraj, racing to 35 off just 12 balls.
Soon, though, the King began to cramp, struggling between the wickets. A brief medical check, a sip of water – and he was roaring again.
