"What A Player! What A Knock!": Harry Kane Hails Virat Kohli As RCB Seal Back-to-Back IPL 2026 Titles

Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a second straight IPL crown by beating the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final, and the win drew praise from across sports, including England football captain Harry Kane, who hailed Virat Kohli and the team after their five-wicket victory at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The championship extended RCB's golden run after the side finally claimed a first IPL trophy in 2025, ending an 18-year wait. By retaining the title in 2026, RCB became only the third franchise, after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, to win back-to-back IPL tournaments.

Harry Kane Praises RCB IPL Title Defence

Kane posted a message on Instagram Stories soon after the match, applauding Kohli's performance and RCB's achievement. Kane wrote, "What a player and what a knock @virat.kohli! Congrats @royalchallengers.bengaluru on making it back-to-back IPL titles," underlining how RCB's success captured attention beyond cricket followers.

Rajat Patidar also joined an exclusive leadership group through this campaign. The RCB captain became only the third skipper, after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, to guide a team to consecutive IPL titles, strengthening a record that now sits alongside two of the league's most successful captains.

RCB IPL Title Run Driven By Virat Kohli & Rajat Patidar

Kohli again played a central role in RCB's title defence, finishing the season strongly with an unbeaten 75 in the final. Patidar passed the 500-run mark across the season and highlighted how Kohli influenced both technical aspects of batting and the confidence of younger players inside the dressing room.

Patidar explained how guidance from Kohli shaped training and match preparation. Patidar said, "The way I look at my batting, I try to work on where I can improve, against pacers especially. I got a lot of ideas and help from Kohli bhai. Whenever I see him, he's always there for the team and all players. He goes to the young players even if they're nervous approaching him," describing Kohli's presence within the group.

Reflecting on lifting the IPL trophy for a second year as captain, Patidar admitted that walking into the stadium brought back images from the 2025 breakthrough success, though the squad stayed focused on the current challenge. Patidar said, "It feels superb. There were a lot of memories from last year, but we had to stay in the present. Don't have words to express, but feeling good," capturing the emotions of the night.

Patidar also outlined RCB's tactical approach in the final, noting the importance of reading conditions early and choosing to chase. Patidar said, "Plan was clear, it was easier to chase. We wanted to get their top-three. Our bowlers throughout the tournament have been superb. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), (Josh) Hazlewood, Rasikh (Dar), Krunal (Pandya), Sheppie (Romario Shepherd), all have been superb," as RCB's attack backed up the batting strength.

With another title secured, RCB now stand alongside Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the list of teams with successful IPL title defences, while individual achievements for Patidar and Kohli underline how a blend of leadership, experience and support for younger players shaped a campaign that maintained RCB's position at the top of the league.