For 18 seasons, Royal Challengers Bangalore Made his IPL identity on the basis of batting and hopefully batting alone will be enough. Every title-contending version of this side had the same flaw: a bowling unit that accepted what the order had created.
The 2025 version broke that template. Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya provided a capable defense for Rajat Patidar to clinch victory over Bengaluru and then reach the final by 6 runs against PBKS at Chinnaswamy.
The title defense in 2026 hinges on the team's consistency and that has separated the two successful back-to-back defenses in IPL history from fifteen that have failed.
Summary
| main point | Description |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Averaged 54.75 in IPL 2025 and started the title defense with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls against SRH on March 28. |
| tim david | Scored 68 runs in the death overs against CSK on April 5, the most in an IPL innings (ESPNcricinfo) |
| away record | RCB won all 7 matches away from home in IPL 2025, the first team to achieve this feat. |
| Josh Hazlewood | Took 22 wickets at an average of 15.8, which is the best among fast bowlers. |
| retention | Of the 17 defending champions, only 2 retained the title; Both continued core bowling. RCB retained 17 players |
5. Virat Kohli's average of 54.75 is a tactical argument
Kohli scored 657 runs in 15 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 54.75. The number that most fans notice first is the number of absences: zero centuries in the entire campaign. He scored 8 fifties and did not convert any of them into goals. That conversion rate, examined in isolation, is akin to a top-order batsman who can't get more than 50 wickets.
Those 8 fifties describe the handling of an innings by a batsman. Kohli's role in this lineup is that of anchor which is scored by Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and Tim David. He accelerates the powerplay, controls the middle overs and builds the innings once the stage is set. 8 fifties in 15 matches reflect that work: productive without being impressive, present in every game without producing a headline innings that overwhelms the collective.
His 43 off 35 was the team's highest score of 190 for 9 in the IPL 2025 final against PBKS, with Krunal achieving PBKS's target within 6 runs before closing the match.
In the IPL 2026 Match 1 against SRH on March 28, Kohli scored unbeaten 69 off 38 balls as RCB chased 202 in 15.4 overs. That was the fastest successful chase of 200 or more in IPL history. Padikkal scored 61 off 26 balls and Kohli set the pace which made momentum possible. No IPL opener who played 10 or more matches in 2025 averaged more than 54.75.
Leave a Reply