Kohli's Final Heroics vs Sooryavanshi's Record Debut: What Defines RCB's Back-to-Back Titles
Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained the IPL title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 in the chase while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi claimed five major awards.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won back-to-back IPL titles with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium. Kohli finished unbeaten on 75 from 42 balls — nine fours, three sixes — to chase down 156. GT had posted 155 for eight.
It's only the third time in IPL history a franchise has won consecutive titles. Kohli led the run-scoring across the season, but the real story was squad depth: Bhuvneshwar Kumar's spell in the final mattered as much as any individual innings. RCB shed the tag of being a star-heavy team living on luck.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked away with five major awards — MVP, Orange Cap among them — after a debut season for Rajasthan Royals that rewrote the age record books. When Kohli met him after the final, it wasn't just a moment of respect. It was a visible handing over: the veteran with 15 years of consistency standing next to the 15-year-old who'd done it in one.