Who said what after RCB’s 2nd consecutive IPL title?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru joined Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to become the third side to register two back-to-back IPL wins after beating GT by 5 wickets in the IPL 2026 final. Virat Kohli stayed unbeaten on 75 runs off 42 deliveries to guide the 2025 champions to their second trophy. Following the game, a host of RCB players spoke to the broadcasters, crediting their teammates and the support staff for RCB’s success in IPL 2026.

Virat Kohli

“I said to a few of the boys that there doesn’t seem to be the same kind of pressure that was there last year. Composure of the guys shone through tonight. After the break we had a couple of losses but we wanted to finish top. The win against MI gave us a lot of confidence. Just to have a group of guys where you don’t feel that you are the only guy who has step up for the team is amazing,” Virat Kohli said.

Krunal Pandya

“There’s no doubt about it, everything is special. It’s like having kids, winning IPL titles is also hard to achieve, so everything feels special to me. A lot of credit goes to the support staff: Mo Bobat, Andy Flower, DK, Malolan. Half of the win is in the auction and we did a good job, I’m glad we went back-to-back for the trophies. 18 years of waiting, back-to-back trophies, it’s special and the supporters have been behind us. Also to Virat Kohli, waited 18 years and now winning two titles on the back,” Krunal Pandya said.

Jitesh Sharma

“Like Mo said before, we’re not defending, we’re attacking and chasing something. The mindset was not to defend the title. Credit to the management, the way they nourished us, the way they backed me when I wasn’t performing. This gives you plenty of assurance; you know they will back you and you want to give back something. We were strong, but we focused on one game at a time, we didn’t think about the opponents, we just kept up with the process. Hopefully, we will get a third title,” Jitesh Sharma said.

Josh Hazlewood

“This is right up there. We had to wait a long time for the first win last year. He (Bhuvi) got wickets up front nearly every game we played, so it’s pretty nice. I think the franchise have put together beautifully. Great support staff. It’s tough to build that culture so fast when the teams change every three years,” Hazlewood said.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

“Yes, the trophy is the most important. I would trade it with the purple cap. The season went well, there was a lot of planning ahead of it. If you take wickets, the confidence is up. Coming into a big game, past wins give you confidence. We were at our best and that’s what we needed,” RCB’s leading wicket-taker in IPL 2026 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar said.

Devdutt Padikkal

“It’s been incredible; batting with this entire group has been special. When you are surrounded by so much quality, you improve a bit as well. The bowlers have been unbelievable; they planned meticulously. I have been with the team plans for a few days and the way they’ve gone after the plans has been incredible. When wickets fell, Ve]nky asked me if I was nervous, but you don’t need to be when he’s batting in the middle (on Virat Kohli), has been superb and his hunger for runs has been unbelievable. Winning trophies has been something we’ve craved for and I am happy that I finished an injury free season,” Padikkal said.

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