IPL: Kohli's masterclass leads RCB to back-to-back title glory

Virat Kohli's 'Chasemaster' masterclass guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second consecutive IPL title. Kohli said the team felt less pressure this year, crediting their ability and execution for becoming the best team in the competition.

Speaking after Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, star Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli admitted, "that it does not feel like the same pressure as last year".

A 'Chasemaster' masterclass from Virat helped RCB complete a tricky 156 runs to join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the elite list of clubs to have won back-to-back IPL titles. Despite wickets falling from the other ends, which produced some nerves, Virat finished things off in style, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest the T20 format has ever seen with another T20 championship title to his name, alongside a massive list of records and individual accomplishments.

'Doesn't feel like the same pressure as last year'

Speaking after the match, Kohli said, "I said to a few of the boys that it does not feel like the same pressure as last year. We knew what kind of ability we have in the group. We topped the table. There is a reason why we got here first. And we just said one thing: if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the comp. And there's a reason why we have done well so far in the group stage. We ended up topping the league stage. And yeah, it's just the skill sets we have, the maturity, the composure of the guys just shone through again tonight, and it was a clinical performance," he said.

He also reflected on some tough matches, including a close match against the Mumbai Indians (MI) that went down to the last ball. "But as soon as we got that win against MI (in their second match of the tournament), the belief kicked back in. Then we had a comprehensive win against KKR and then, yeah, just ended up topping the table and just on our way to the finals," he added.

Virat reflected on the number of 'Player of the Match' titles RCB players won, including players like Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy and himself, among others. "I mean, you look at world-class bowling like Hoff, Bhuvi, Duffy. I mean, Krunal Pandya, you know, you can bank on him, as good as ever. Rasikh Dar was brilliant this season. All the batsmen chipped in as well. So I feel so happy to play in a group where we have balance, we have strength, and we are an all-round strong team. And yeah, that is why we have the confidence we have on the field right now," he signed off.

Match Summary: RCB vs GT

Put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only one to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly.

RCB started off well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli. GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left.

This is RCB's second IPL title win and overall their fourth Indian franchise cricket trophy, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.

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