Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful IPL 2026 title defence has drawn praise from franchise legend AB de Villiers, who believes the team’s previous championship experience played a major role in their dominant performance this season. According to De Villiers, RCB entered the final with far greater confidence than they did a year ago, having already discovered the formula required to win on the biggest stage.
RCB defeated the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31, becoming only the third franchise in tournament history to win back-to-back IPL titles. The defending champions produced another clinical display, restricting GT to 155/8 before comfortably chasing down the target with two overs to spare.
After being asked to bat first, the Gujarat Titans struggled to build momentum throughout their innings. While Washington Sundar fought hard with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, regular wickets prevented GT from posting a challenging total. RCB’s disciplined bowling attack ensured the Titans never gained control of the contest.
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In reply, Virat Kohli once again delivered when it mattered most. The former RCB captain remained unbeaten on 75 from just 42 deliveries, striking nine boundaries and three sixes as he anchored the chase and guided Bengaluru to another memorable title triumph.
Reflecting on the victory, De Villiers highlighted the difference in mindset between RCB’s first title-winning campaign in 2025 and their successful defence in 2026.
“It was a lot easier than last year, that’s for sure. Last year was emotional, and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. This year, when I saw Virat before the start of the game, there was a bit more quiet confidence. We’ve been here before, now we know how it works and what the formula is,” AB de Villiers said on JioStar.
The South African great reserved special praise for Kohli, describing him as the calming influence that held the chase together under pressure. He noted that Kohli’s ability to control the tempo of an innings remains one of his greatest strengths.
“In a final, if you take him out of that batting order, everything looks different. He brings calmness and knows exactly how to pace a chase,” Ab de Villiers explained.
He also felt the Gujarat Titans made the mistake of allowing Kohli to settle early by bowling too frequently into his strengths.
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“Once Virat got going, it became one-way traffic. If you give one of the greatest players of all time that kind of start, he will make you pay. It was fitting that he stayed till the end and scored the winning runs,” AB de Villiers added.
For RCB, the triumph marked another landmark moment in franchise history, while Kohli’s unbeaten knock further reinforced his reputation as one of the greatest match-winners the IPL has ever seen.
