Virat Kohli on Sunday said that the rising calibre of younger players in the Indian Premier League pushed him to change gears at the top of the order, a transformation that has worked in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s favour.

Kohli ended unbeaten on 75 and guided RCB to 156 runs in the title decider against Gujarat Titans, winning the Player of the Match award. In IPL 2026, Kohli amassed 675 runs at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.

“Such is the demand of the game. The super young players are pushing you to up the ante. (On his fastest fifty in 25 balls) Gives you something to work towards. I had to change my mindset not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

With the win, RCB became the third side in the IPL to defend its crown. Kohli highlighted that the team’s experienced players held the side through a second successful campaign.

“First target was to go top of the table. We didn’t care what jersey was in front of us thereon. We’re respectful, don’t poke any team. We have mature professionals and experience shines through. Come the big situation you need the big boys to step up. I know it’s a chase and they’ll look to get me out early, but I knew we have a champion side that can chase it down with 3-4 overs to go.

“When we won last year, Mo Bobat said this is not the end of the journey and we had to go back-to-back. Told Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) we need to kill the game in the PowerPlay. There was total clarity. We had small targets and played free cricket. His intent was the difference-maker in the last three-four games.”

Kohli also conveyed a message to the RCB supporters, saying: “We have 14 home games, not seven, we have fans behind us all the time. 90 per cent fans are on our side despite it being GT’s home ground. That is what we have built over the years, their support is priceless. I hope they enjoy our win.”

Published on Jun 01, 2026