Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s successful defense of the IPL title received high praise from the franchise legend AB de Villierswho greeted Virat Kohli‘s victory in the IPL 2026 final as a perfect example of composure under pressure.
RCB won their second successive IPL trophy with a convincing five-wicket win Gujarat Titans May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing a target of 156, the Bengaluru side once again turned to their most reliable batsman, Kohli. Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 off just 42 deliveries to lead his team home in commanding fashion.
AB de Villiers epitomizes RCB’s remarkable title defence
Speaking after the final, De Villiers admitted that RCB look more confident this season compared to their maiden title-winning campaign a year ago. According to the former South African captain, the experience of lifting the trophy earlier helped the team approach the final with more confidence and clarity.
He noted that last season’s triumph carried significant emotional weight as the franchise had waited years to win its first IPL title. However, this year’s squad seemed more determined and better prepared for the challenges of a high-pressure final.
De Villiers said he sensed a quiet confidence in the pre-match camp and that the players now understand what it takes to succeed on the biggest stage. He described winning back-to-back championships as a remarkable achievement and expressed great pride in the franchise’s growth.
“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 we saw Virat before the start of the game, there was a little bit more calm confidence. We’ve been here before, now we know how it works and what the formula is. And what a remarkable achievement, to be back-to-back champions.” De Villiers said on JioHotStar.
De Villiers hails Virat Kohli’s match-winning knock
The IPL final looked evenly matched at first after Gujarat Titans scored 155/8 in 20 overs. Washington Sundar played an unbeaten half-century fighting hand, but RCB’s disciplined bowling effort prevented the Titans from achieving a more impressive total. Kohli once again took the responsibility to lead the innings as Bengaluru started to chase. Mixing caution with aggression, the veteran opener ensured that there were no major setbacks, keeping the required run rate consistently under control.
De Villiers highlighted Kohli’s ability to remain calm in tense situations, calling it one of the strengths of his batting. He noted that finals often require more patience and game awareness than reckless batting, qualities that Kohli has mastered throughout his career.
According to de Villiers, removing Kohli from this chase would have made the contest look completely different. He said the Indian superstar controlled the innings despite facing quality bowlers including Rashid Khan and made sure RCB never lost their grip on the match.
“In the final, if you take him out of the batting order, it looks a bit different. With Rashid Khan firing from one side and some of the other GT bowlers doing really well, he just brings that calmness. He knows how to accelerate and finish the chase in the innings,” De Villiers added.
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GT’s bowling plans backfired against Kohli
The former RCB great also felt that the Gujarat Titans made a tactical mistake early in the innings by bowling to Kohli’s preferred scoring areas too often. A few deliveries on the pads allowed the right-hander to settle in quickly and find the boundaries with ease. De Villiers explained that once a batting of Kohli’s caliber gets off to a comfortable start, it becomes quite a difficult task to stop him. He felt that once Kohli found his rhythm and started dictating conditions to the bowlers, the chase became easier and easier.
Fittingly, Kohli remained unbeaten till the end and hit the winning streak, bringing yet another memorable IPL campaign to a perfect conclusion. For De Villiers, it was the ideal ending to a final that once again demonstrated why Kohli remains one of the best match-winners in the history of the tournament.
“And it’s only fitting that he’s been there at the end of the winning runs. GT was a bit clumsy in feeding him his strengths. A lot of the deliveries in the first 20-30 runs were on the legs. If you give one of the all-time greats a start like that, he’s always going to punish you. To be there at the end and call those last overs was absolutely phenomenal.” De Villiers concluded.
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