Already an IPL champion, Virat Kohli remains the soul of RCB's title defence

When Virat Kohli finally broke down on the field after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden IPL title last year, the tears carried the weight of almost two decades. For years, the trophy was the missing piece in the relationship that defined the Indian Premier League. Kohli has scored, broken records, lived up to expectations and remained fiercely loyal to a franchise that has repeatedly promised much but failed to deliver when it mattered most.

The image of Kohli in tears quickly became one of the defining moments of the IPL 2025 season as it represented much more than just winning the title. It was a relief. It was validation. It was the release of a burden that has carried the player and the franchise for years. RCB’s six-run win over Punjab Kings finally put an end to questions about whether Kohli would ever lift the IPL trophy in Bengaluru colours.

Twelve months later, Kohli returns to IPL finals under very different circumstances. The trophy that once dominated every conversation surrounding his IPL career is now in the cupboard. RCB are no longer chasing the breakthrough moment. After so many years, they are aiming for a second title.

And yet, as Bengaluru prepare for another shot at history in Ahmedabad, there is something familiar about the moment. Kohli remains at the center of it all. Not because he has unfinished business with the IPL, but because no player has come to represent a franchise the way he has represented RCB.

THE MAN WHO NEVER LEFT

The IPL has changed dramatically since its inception in 2008. Teams were dismantled and rebuilt, superstars changed franchises, and entire locker rooms were transformed through auctions and trades. Through all the changes, Kohli has remained constant.

He is the only player in the history of the IPL to represent a single franchise throughout the tournament’s existence. What began as a teenage journey after leading India to the Under-19 World Cup title has evolved into one of the defining player-franchise relationships in modern sports.

In over 270 appearances, Kohli has experienced every emotion imaginable in RCB colours. He celebrated playoff qualifiers, endured painful eliminations and experienced seasons where expectations rose before reality hit. He was there when RCB lost the final in 2009. He was there when the franchise put together some of the most feared batting line-ups in T20 history. He was there in that heartbreaking 2016, when his record-breaking season ended one step short of the trophy.

Most players move on in search of new opportunities or greater success. Kohli never did that. Virat Kohli is the only player who has never left the franchise since the start of the tournament. (Image: Reuters)

This loyalty became inseparable from his identity. To think of RCB is to think of Kohli. The growth of the franchise into one of the biggest brands in the IPL mirrors his rise into one of the most recognizable cricketers in the world.

The numbers only reinforce the story. No batter has scored more runs in IPL history. This season, Kohli became the first player to cross the 9,000-run mark, extending his lead at the top of the all-time charts that may remain untouched for years. Through changing eras, changing rules and changing demands, he has remained a benchmark of consistency.

But what has always set Kohli apart at RCB is that his impact goes beyond the scorecard. His story is woven into the franchise’s own story, making it nearly impossible to separate one from the other.

DIFFERENT KOHLI, SAME INFLUENCE

At 37, Kohli is entering a phase of his IPL career unlike any he has known before. For most of the last decade, he went into every season with multiple responsibilities. He was the captain, the franchise’s biggest star, its leading batsman and often the figure expected to steer RCB’s campaign. Every success and every failure seemed to come back to him.

That no longer applies.

Rajat Patidar leads the side while Andy Flower, Mo Bobat and Dinesh Karthik oversee the cricketing direction of the franchise. Responsibilities that once rested almost entirely on Kohli’s shoulders are now shared across the dressing room. It allowed him to focus on his own game while contributing in ways that don’t always show up on the scorecard.

The intensity that defined his career remains unchanged. He still celebrates wickets and milestones with the same passion, still demands the highest standards from himself and those around him, and still approaches every contest with the competitiveness that has made him one of the defining cricketers of his generation. Yet there also seems to be a greater sense of comfort in the role he occupies today. After finally winning the IPL title that eluded him for so long, Kohli looks like a player who is enjoying the game without carrying the weight of the expectations of the entire franchise. Virat Kohli is no longer RCB’s only focus. (Image: Reuters)

This did not diminish his position in the group. If anything, it made his experiences even more valuable. During the season, Patidar talked about the importance of having senior players around him as he settles into management.

“He’s learning a lot, mainly off the field and on the field, there’s a lot of helping hands. There’s a lot of experienced players that I get a lot of good ideas from. So I try to understand those ideas and apply them to the game.”

The commentary offers an insight into how this RCB side operates. Patidar may be the captain but he is surrounded by players who have experienced the pressures of international cricket and the IPL at the highest level. Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have become important sounding boards throughout the season, offering perspective and guidance whenever needed. Their influence is reflected not in public pronouncements but in the confidence and clarity with which this RCB side went about their business.

Over the years, Bengaluru have often looked up to Kohli to provide answers whenever the going gets tough. This team has outgrown that addiction. He has match winners across departments and leaders spread throughout the locker room. Yet Kohli remains central to its identity, not because everything revolves around him, but because his standards, experience and understanding of the franchise continue to shape the environment around it.

THE PERFECT FACE OF THE TITLE DEFENSE

Kohli responded to RCB’s winning season with one of the most complete campaigns of his IPL career.

His approach at the top of the order has evolved again. He attacked the powerplay with greater intent, adapting to the ever-changing demands of T20 cricket and continuing to find ways to stay ahead in a format that rarely allows players to stand still. Kohli’s 600-plus runs at a pace of 164.38 is not only a reflection of individual excellence, but also how seamlessly he has fitted into RCB’s plans this season.

There are no signs of the player retiring. If anything, Kohli seemed buoyed by the challenge of helping RCB establish itself as a team capable of sustained success. Virat Kohli looks as energized as ever ahead of the IPL final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. (Image: Reuters)

The contrast with 2016 cannot be ignored. That year, Kohli produced arguably the greatest individual season in IPL history, scoring 973 runs and taking RCB within touching distance of the title. It was a campaign built on the extraordinary form of one man. When the Finals ended in disappointment, it reinforced how heavily the franchise depended on him.

This RCB side was built differently. The winning performances came from the entire team. Their bowling attack won matches on its own. Younger players stepped into key roles without hesitation, while experienced heads helped the team lead in pressure situations.

What RCB has enabled is to maximize Kohli’s strengths rather than relying solely on them.

Kohli’s value in this side goes beyond runs. Few players understand the pressures of an IPL final better and even fewer have experienced every phase of a franchise’s journey as he has with RCB. That perspective has become an asset to the dressing room, which is trying to achieve something the club has never managed before.

In 2016, Kohli was at the center of RCB’s hopes. He will stand there again on Sunday night in Ahmedabad. Only this time, unlike in 2016, he has an entire franchise that knows what winning looks like. A dressing room that feeds off each other rather than one individual. The trophy that once seemed destined to define his IPL legacy is already in the cupboard. Yet, as RCB move within touching distance of another crown, Kohli remains the one figure that connects every era of the franchise’s journey. From promise to heartbreak, from expectation to fulfillment, no one has lived the RCB story like him.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

31 May 2026 07:51 IST