Not far away, Rajat Patidar stood quietly amid the commotion. While celebrations swirled around him, the captain looked towards the sky and smiled. It was a fleeting moment, but one that seemed to capture the weight of a journey that had begun months ago with high expectations and ended with another trophy in hand.<\/p>\n
The Narendra Modi Stadium had long forgotten about cricket by then. Children waved flags from the stands, fans lingered in their seats unwilling to leave, and players stretched out the celebrations for as long as possible. Fireworks lit up the Ahmedabad sky as chants rolled down from every corner of the stadium.<\/p>\n
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured its second successive IPL title, there was jubilation, certainly. But there was also validation.<\/p>\n
A year ago, RCB had finally ended nearly two decades of waiting. The celebrations were then fuelled by relief; the burden of history had finally been lifted.<\/p>\n
This triumph felt different.<\/p>\n
This was not about ending a drought. It was about proving the first title was no accident. Defending a championship is often tougher than winning one. Expectations rise. Opponents spend months dissecting your strengths. Every defeat is scrutinised more closely.<\/p>\n
Success often creates its own anxieties. The temptation is to search for improvements everywhere, even when little is broken.<\/p>\n
RCB chose a different path.<\/p>\n
Under head coach Andy Flower, batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik and director of cricket, Mo Bobat, continuity became a strength. The core remained intact, but the franchise quietly addressed areas that needed strengthening. There was trust in a group that had already shown what it was capable of.<\/p>\n
That approach shone throughout the season. Players retained their roles after poor outings, and selections were not dictated by short-term results. Even during occasional setbacks, there was little sign of panic.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ: Decoding Impact Player: Tactical usages in IPL 2026<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n RCB opened its campaign by brushing aside Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and rarely loosened its hold on the tournament thereafter.<\/p>\n By the halfway mark, RCB looked more certain of its identity than any other side in the competition.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year was a lot of pressure. This year was calmer because of the way we played throughout the tournament,\u201d Patidar admitted after the final. \u201cWe didn\u2019t just play well, we dominated.\u201d<\/p>\n One week, it was Kohli anchoring the innings. On another, Phil Salt blew teams away in the PowerPlay. Devdutt Padikkal provided fluency and stability at the top, while there were evenings when Rajat Patidar took charge through the middle overs, or Tim David arrived late to finish the job.<\/p>\n Over two months, contributions came from almost every corner of the dressing room. For years, RCB\u2019s fortunes had often been tied too closely to Kohli. If he scored heavily, the team usually prospered. If he failed, anxiety often followed. This season, that dependency finally seemed to loosen.<\/p>\n \n Virat Kohli remained the backbone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with 675 runs at an impressive strike-rate of 165.84. Kohli remained the cornerstone, finishing with 675 runs and once again demonstrating why he remains among the most dependable batters in the game. But support arrived from every direction.<\/p>\n Then there was Patidar.<\/p>\n He does not fit the conventional image of a captain. He is not animated on the field. He does not deliver theatrical speeches. His reactions rarely change regardless of the situation. Throughout the season, however, he exuded a quiet authority that seemed to resonate with the dressing room.<\/p>\n The impact became increasingly visible as the tournament progressed.<\/p>\n Patidar amassed 501 runs at a strike rate of 192.69, often arriving when games were delicately poised. There were innings where he rebuilt after early wickets and others where he immediately counterattacked.<\/p>\n Rajat Patidar delivered a career-best season of 501 runs at a strike-rate of 192.69, and led RCB with calm and composure. \n Rajat Patidar delivered a career-best season of 501 runs at a strike-rate of 192.69, and led RCB with calm and composure. He was hardly alone.<\/p>\n David knew exactly why he had been recruited. His brief was simple: finish games. He scored 305 runs at a strike rate of 189.44, repeatedly tipping balanced contests in RCB\u2019s favour. His unbeaten 70 off 25 balls against Chennai Super Kings stood out, but it was hardly an isolated contribution.<\/p>\n The pattern repeated itself throughout the season. An early wicket rarely derailed the innings. A collapse never seemed to be around the corner. If conditions became difficult, the batting order adapted. Rarely did the side look dependent on one individual.<\/p>\n If the batting provided momentum, the bowlers rarely allowed opponents a way back into contests.<\/p>\n While the batting attracted much of the attention, RCB\u2019s attack quietly controlled games throughout the season. There were nights when Josh Hazlewood\u2019s relentless accuracy set the tone. On others, Bhuvneshwar Kumar\u2019s experience came to the fore. Jacob Duffy provided control, while Rasikh Salam Dar gradually evolved from a supporting act into a genuine match-winner.<\/p>\n Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood led the RCB bowling attack with aplomb. \n Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood led the RCB bowling attack with aplomb. There were evenings when the new ball swung extravagantly under lights and others when it resembled a piece of old leather from the very first over. If movement was available, they exploited it relentlessly. If it disappeared, they shifted gears, attacked hard lengths and squeezed scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n It was a bowling attack built not on mystery but on discipline.<\/p>\n The experience within the attack also created space for younger bowlers to grow.<\/p>\n Rasikh\u2019s emergence perhaps best illustrated the growth of the bowling unit. Trusted with difficult overs and frequently asked to operate under pressure, the young seamer grew in confidence as the tournament progressed.<\/p>\n With Gujarat Titans threatening to build momentum, Rasikh struck at crucial moments and finished with figures of 3 for 27 in the final, effectively extinguishing hopes of a comeback.<\/p>\n![\"Virat](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/hnprlp\/article71056807.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/071.jpg\" "\\"Virat")
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\n KR DEEPAK\n <\/p>\n![\"lightbox-info\"\/](\"https:\/\/assetsss.thehindu.com\/theme\/images\/SSRX\/lightbox-info.svg\")
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\n | Photo Credit:
\n KR DEEPAK\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Rajat](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/mm7uny\/article71056819.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/VIS_8074.JPG\" "\\"Rajat")
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\n | Photo Credit:
\n VIJAY SONEJI\n <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\n | Photo Credit:
\n VIJAY SONEJI\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Bhuvneshwar](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/s4mjoz\/article71056830.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/INDEX_IPL_MATCH_RCB_DC_40.jpg\" "\\"Bhuvneshwar")
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\n | Photo Credit:
\n SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR\n <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\n | Photo Credit:
\n SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n