Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsmen Venkatesh Iyer Virat Kohli praised after the franchise's successful title defense in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. RCB won their second IPL trophy by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 31 May.
Chasing a target of 156 in a high-pressure final, RCB displayed composed batting under Kohli, who remained unbeaten on 75 off just 42 balls. The experienced batsman chased the target brilliantly and was named player of the match for his match-winning innings.
Venkatesh highlighted Kohli's calming influence during the chase and revealed how the dressing room remained confident despite losing a few wickets.
“There is a lot to learn from him. While chasing, the plan was to work hard at the top. While chasing a target of 160, games are often won in the powerplay, and GT has a very good bowling attack. At RCB, the plan is always to target the opponent's stronger side, and that is what Virat has done. Even when we lost a few early wickets, there was never any panic because we knew that with Virat, we had control. His presence in the middle gave us a mental edge. And, as we all saw, he hung in there till the end and finished the game,” Venkatesh told RevSportz.
The left-handed batsman also opened up about Kohli's influence on him personally during his time at RCB. According to Venkatesh, the former Indian captain's unmatched intensity and commitment serves as a source of inspiration for every player in the team.
He further added, “With Virat, you know you can't slack off in your practice. He is always full of intensity and commitment, and when you see someone who has achieved as much as he has done day after day, ball after ball, on and off the field, you feel inspired to do the same. His presence makes a huge difference in itself, and each of us has used that as a learning curve.”
Venkatesh further revealed that Kohli constantly encourages players to play every aspect of the game with intention and conviction regardless of the match situation.
“There is not much that is said in the T20 game. Each of us knows our own role and with Virat, one thing he always says is to work with passion and aggression. He emphasizes on clarity of action. So, if you want to play defensive shots – not that you do that often in a T20 competition – then that too has to be played with intent and conviction. You have to be aggressive in your approach, and that is something I learned from him Is.”
Venkatesh especially praised Kohli's work ethic, saying that despite achieving almost everything in the game, the star batsman remains the hardest-working cricketer in the RCB setup.
“I have never seen a more hard-working cricketer than him. He is still the most hard-working player in the team, and once you look at him closely, you understand why he has achieved so much. He prepares for every situation that may come up because he has faced every kind of situation in his career. That is why he was not even the slightest bit nervous during the chase, and that is a huge positive for us at RCB. Whatever he has done for the franchise He deserves the success coming his way,” he concluded.
After playing a key role throughout the campaign, the veteran player capped another memorable season with a match-winning performance that helped rcb Retained his IPL crown and further cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of the franchise.
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