Virat Kohli reinvents his T20 game with change in mindset, pushing fr…

Indian superstar Virat Kohli said he needed a change in mindset and a bit of pushing from “super young” players to reinvent his T20 game after he smashed his fastest IPL fifty to power Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second successive trophy. catcross.org

In the IPL final against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, he fulfilled his long-cherished dream of hitting the winning runs for the franchise.

Kohli’s unbeaten 75 was the cornerstone of RCB’s second IPL title and the legend couldn’t be more pleased with the amount of consistency he showed throughout the season.

“(It is the) stuff you dream of. (I) thought of this moment many times, wanting to hit the winning run,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Asked about his 25-ball half-century, Kohli showed why he eternally remains a student of the game.

“Such is the demand (that) super young players (are) pushing you to up the ante,” he said in jest, but the seriousness of his statement wasn”t lost on anyone.

“I had to change my mindset, not my game so much, take on bowlers and get extra runs,” he added.

What has pleased Kohli this season is the fact that in the first 10 games, there were eight different cricketers who won the Player of the Match award.

“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.

The kind of team that RCB management put on the park during the last two seasons has made the difference, feels Kohli.

“I felt really relaxed coming in. The team we have gives confidence to see any kind of situation through. (We) knew exactly what to do in the chase.”

Very carefully, he also spoke about how they didn” care which team was in the opposition but at the same time, there was respect for each and every other opponent.

“Our first target was to go top of the table. We didn”t care what jersey was in front of us thereon. We are respectful, don”t poke any team. We have mature professionals and experience shines through.”

For him, on big days, it is the duty of the stars to pull the team 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.”

Having missed the bus for 17 seasons, Kohli remembers what Director of Cricket Mo Bobat told them after their maiden win in 2025.

“When we won last year, Mo Bobat said this is not the end of the journey and we had to go back-to-back. At the start of the chase, I told Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) that we need to kill the game in the powerplay. There was total clarity.”

Kohli said the final this year felt a lot different than last year.

“I said to a few of the boys that it doesn”t feel like the same pressure as last year, we knew what kind of ability we have in the group,” he said.

“We topped the table, there’s a reason why we got here first and we just said one thing, ‘if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the competition’ and there”s a reason why we”ve done well so far.”

Kohli said RCB were tested after a short break for them in the season, but a close victory over Mumbai Indians in Raipur instilled the belief back in the group.

“After the break, we had a couple of losses… I mean, one loss, and then we had a close win against MI,” he said.

“I’d say that week for us was a bit tricky because we wanted to finish top, but as soon as we got there, (with the) win against MI, the belief kicked back in, then we had a comprehensive win against KKR and then, yeah, just ended up topping the table and just on our way to the finals,” Kohli said.

He also gave due credit to the loyal fans of RCB.

“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.”

As Virat Kohli hit the winning six to take Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a convincing win over a hapless Gujarat Titans, the fireworks went off in North Bengaluru. I stepped out on the balcony to soak in the celebrations. However, unlike last year, things seemed a little sedate; not lack of emotion but high on confidence. And just like how it started the fireworks ceased and while friends at the gym this morning are still raving about their franchise’s showing this year, I felt that the underlying messaging was that Bengaluru no longer needs “Ee Sala Cup Namde.”

For nearly 18 years, the slogan was not really a slogan. It was collective therapy. “Ee Sala Cup Namde” – This year, the cup is ours, emerged from a city constantly negotiating hope and disappointment. Bengaluru is a city of migrants, start-ups, engineers, dreamers and first-generation success stories. Most people arrive here chasing something they do not yet possess. In many ways, RCB became the sporting embodiment of Bengaluru itself. The team always looked promising. The city always looked promising. Yet both seemed trapped in an endless cycle of potential.

Every year, fans repeated it almost ironically. It evolved into a cultural meme, a self-aware acknowledgement of heartbreak. Much like Bengaluru’s famous traffic jokes, people knew the pain but laughed through it. The slogan became folklore because failure was part of the identity. But then, I guess cultures change when success becomes normal.

Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 in the final, his fastest IPL fifty and his record-breaking season once again provided the headline. It was achieved through structure, squad depth and clarity. RCB topped the league, dominated Qualifier 1 and then controlled the final. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar with this 2 for 29 and the 28 wickets in this season proved why the epithet of silent assassin remain relevant after nearly two decades. Rasik Salam Dar was a revelation throughout this edition and he ended up taking three wickets in this match for 27 runs. What has changed for this franchise under Andy Flower and Mo Bobat is the definitive identity of an all-round efficient unit that demonstrates sustained excellence instead of relying on a couple of big names.

And Bengaluru understands sustained excellence better than most cities. Look at the city’s evolution. The Bengaluru of the 1990s was an emerging technology hub. The Bengaluru of 2026 is one of Asia’s most influential innovation ecosystems. The city no longer introduces itself through aspiration. It introduces itself through achievement. RCB has undergone a similar transition. Ethnographically, sporting chants reveal what communities think about themselves. Liverpool’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” emerged from working-class solidarity. Argentina’s football songs often celebrate struggle and identity. “Ee Sala Cup Namde” reflected yearning. But yearning is not the dominant emotion anymore. Today, the slogan almost feels outdated because it belongs to an era when the trophy was absent.

You do not keep saying “This year the cup is ours” when the cup already sits in your cabinet.
The symbolism becomes even stronger when viewed through Karnataka’s cultural lens. Karnataka traditionally celebrates achievement with restraint. Unlike some sporting cultures built on chest-thumping triumphalism, there is often a quieter pride here. Achievement is respected when it becomes repeatable. That is why the celebrations across Bengaluru after the win felt different. There was joy, certainly. But there was also composure. The city celebrated like a champion defending its crown, not a challenger finally getting lucky.

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The post Goodbye, Ee Sala Cup Namde. Bengaluru Has Moved On appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Veteran all-rounder Krunal Pandya created a light-hearted moment during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2026 title celebrations. Pandya showed a five-finger gesture to mark his fifth IPL trophy, drawing amused reactions from Virat Kohli, captain Rajat Patidar, and several teammates during the celebrations.

RCB secured the victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31. Bengaluru won by five wickets as Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 runs. They became the third team to win back-to-back IPL trophies, joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

Everyone Shows 2 Trophies, But Krunal Pandya Shows 5 During RCB's IPL 2026 Celebrations

A light-hearted moment stole the spotlight during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2026 title celebrations. During the team's post-match photo session, the entire squad gathered behind the champions' banner and posed for the cameras after securing a second consecutive IPL trophy.

Also Read: Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma set the dance floor on fire as as RCB celebrate historic achievement

Most RCB players held up two fingers to celebrate the franchise's back-to-back titles. However, Krunal Pandya had a different message. The all-rounder raised five fingers, reminding everyone that he had now won five IPL trophies in his career.

The gesture quickly caught the attention of Virat Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar. Kohli burst into laughter and pointed toward Krunal, while Patidar smiled at the moment. The clip soon became a fan favorite as Krunal celebrated his personal achievement while enjoying RCB's success.

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Krunal Pandya Joins Elite Five-Title IPL Club

Krunal Pandya added another milestone to his career by winning his fifth IPL title on Sunday. The all-rounder won his first three trophies with Mumbai Indians before moving to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022. After joining RCB in 2025, he has helped the franchise win back-to-back IPL titles.

With his latest triumph, Krunal joined an exclusive group of players with five IPL titles. The list includes MS Dhoni, Kieron Pollard, and his brother Hardik Pandya. The all-time record is six titles, jointly held by Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu.

Krunal played an important role in RCB's successful IPL 2026 campaign. His left-arm spin and lower-order batting provided balance to the side throughout the season. The all-rounder scored 226 runs and took 14 wickets in IPL 2026.

RCB Restrict GT To 155/8 Before Completing Comfortable Chase

RCB took control of the IPL 2026 final after captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first. Gujarat Titans struggled to build momentum after losing Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan early, while Washington Sundar fought back with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls to help his team reach 155/8 in 20 overs.

RCB's bowlers delivered a disciplined performance throughout the innings. Rasikh Salam starred with three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood claimed two wickets each to keep the Gujarat Titans batters under pressure.

Chasing 156, Royal Challengers Bengaluru reached the target in 18 overs. Venkatesh Iyer gave the team a flying start with 32 off 16 balls, including four fours and two sixes.

Virat Kohli then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 75 off 42 deliveries, including nine fours and three sixes. He reached his half-century in just 25 balls, his fastest fifty of the tournament.

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