Virat Kohli's 'stuff of dreams' saw him lift the Indian Premier League 2026 title for the second time as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended the crown that they won last year. Kohli, who has carried RCB for the last 19 years, was fittingly at the centre when RCB romped home with the former skipper smashing a winning six.
Kohli went unbeaten on 75 from 43 balls as RCB chased down 156 against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium with five wickets in hand and two overs to spare. Kohli was emotional after the final, stating that he had dreamt of winning an IPL like this. "Well, it’s the stuff that you dream of. I’ve thought of this moment many times, that, you know, once when we win the IPL, I should be standing there hitting the winning runs and tonight it was possible. So yeah, just a dream day for us," he told broadcasters after the match.
RCB now packed with champions in the team
While Kohli led the chase in the final, it was the bowlers who set things up for them by restricting GT to just 155. RCB had several match-winners this season, with several other guys raising their hands and doing the job for the team. "We've had to wait for so long and then just to have a group of guys where you feel like you're stepping onto the ground, you don't need to be the one to step up every time," Kohli said.
"These guys are behind you (and) around you, who can win games of cricket for you. We have so many Man of the Match awards spread throughout the group as well. You look at world-class bowling of Hoff (Josh Hazlewood), Bhuv (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Duff (Jacob Duffy), and Krunal Pandya - you can bank on him as good as ever - Rasikh (Salam) Dar was brilliant this season," Kohli said.
When will Kohli be in action next?
Kohli is now not seen much in action as he plays only two formats - ODI for India and T20 for the RCB. He will be in action next when India host Afghanistan for a three-match ODI series. The series will kick off with a one-off Test match that will be played in Mullanpur from June 6 - 10. Meanwhile, the ODI series will start from June 13 onwards, with the next two being played on June 17 and 20. Kohli is set to be in action next on June 13 for the first ODI of the series.
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