IPL 2026: ‘Young players are pushing to change your game and up the ante,’ says Kohli

Ahmedabad: Virat Kohli believes the relentless rise of fearless young cricketers is forcing even the most accomplished veterans to evolve, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star admitting that modern T20 cricket demands constant reinvention.

Fresh from guiding RCB to a second successive IPL title, Kohli reflected on how emerging talents have pushed him to adapt his approach, alter his mindset and continue finding new ways to stay ahead in a format that is changing faster than ever.

Reflecting on the emotions of the final, where he remained unbeaten and hit the winning runs, Kohli admitted the occasion felt like something straight out of his dreams.

“Well, it’s the stuff that you dream of. I’ve thought of this moment many times, that, you know, once when we win the IPL, I should be standing there hitting the winning runs and tonight it was possible. So yeah, just a dream day for us,” Kohli said during the post-match press conference.

Kohli said the confidence within the dressing room before the final was evident, with the team entering the contest relaxed and convinced about its strengths.

“And as I mentioned straight after the game as well, we just felt really relaxed coming to the game today and really confident about how we wanted to go about our game and what kind of team we have. And that gives you confidence to just, you know, see any kind of situation through,” he said.

The RCB star also explained why he looked so comfortable during the chase. “But yeah, in a chase, I felt really comfortable out there knowing exactly what to do.”

The final also saw Kohli register the fastest half-century of his IPL career in his 19th season. He credited the changing demands of T20 cricket and the emergence of younger players for pushing him to adapt. However, for him, the challenge of staying relevant remains a source of motivation.

“Well, not really. I mean, such is the demand of the sport today. I mean, you have these, you know, super young players pushing you all the time and really asking you to change your game and up the ante. And it’s an exciting situation because it gives you something to improve on, something to work towards. And yeah, I just take a lot of pride in getting better and just trying to figure out areas where I can improve,” he noted.

He revealed that the adjustment was more mental than technical as he said, “So yeah, it was just a case of the demands of today’s modern game where you need to get those 20, 30 extra runs. And I had to kind of change my mindset, not my game so much to hit the shots I hit, but more often and take the bowlers on, probably the best bowlers in the opposition. That was always my target. So very happy I was able to contribute towards the team cause.”

Having won the title in 2025, RCB entered this season with a clear objective — to finish at the top of the table and focus solely on their own cricket.

“Absolutely. I mean, the first target was to finish top of the table. We achieved that. And then after that, it was just about… you know, a lot of people asked us, who do you prefer in the finals? And we said, it doesn’t matter for us. We don’t care what jersey is in front of us. We are playing great cricket. We want to focus on RCB and not the other teams,” he said.

Kohli stressed that the squad maintained respect for every opponent while trusting its own abilities. “And we’re going to be respectful of all the other teams. We don’t poke any other team, you know. We’re very happy to carry on playing professional cricket. We have a lot of mature players in the group, a lot of experienced guys, and the experience always shines through in difficult situations.”

He then underlined the importance of senior players delivering when the stakes are highest. “You can have all the excitement and slam-bang in the world, but come the big situations, you need the big boys to step up. And that’s exactly what we did.”

One of the themes of RCB’s title-winning campaign was the number of players who contributed at different stages. Kohli said that depth gave him tremendous confidence throughout the season.

“Absolutely. I mean, even tonight, I know it’s a chase and they probably look to get me out early, but I was very confident that even if I get out early, we have a champion team that’s going to finish the job, you know, three or four overs to go. So when you have that kind of confidence, you can go out there and really take the bowlers on.”

He credited the management and players for building a squad capable of sustaining success. “And I think that’s credit to the management, the way they stacked up the squad, the talent of the players, the belief that the players have shown. And we stand here champions back-to-back, which is a special feat.”

Kohli also revealed that the ambition of winning consecutive titles was discussed immediately after last year’s triumph. “That’s exactly what Mo Bobat said when we won last year, that it’s not the end of the road. We’re going to look to go back-to-back. And that’s exactly what we ended up achieving. So we’re really proud of us as a team.”

Discussing his opening partnership with Venkatesh Iyer, Kohli said the plan was straightforward from the outset. “Yeah, I mean, simple chat to Venky in the change room. And I just told him one thing, we need to kill the game in the power play. And he said, yeah, let’s go. So it was total clarity.”

The pair’s aggressive intent ensured RCB remained ahead of the chase from the very beginning. “There was no doubt at any stage when both of us were going. We just wanted to strike. We just wanted to take the bowlers on because we knew in a big game, if you lose a couple of wickets, things can get tricky.”

Kohli also explained the small targets they set during the innings. “So never let the run rate go up to seven and a half, eight. And then we had small targets in mind. You know, when you get the score under those targets, then you can really go and play free cricket. So, yeah, credit to Venkatesh as well. He stepped in and did a beautiful job up top. And his intent was probably the difference maker for us in the last three or four games.”

Finally, Kohli paid tribute to RCB’s supporters, who once again turned a neutral venue into what felt like a home game. He pointed to the overwhelming support in Ahmedabad as another example of the bond between the franchise and its followers.

“I mean, I always say we don’t have seven home games. We probably have 14 because everywhere we go, we have fans cheering the team and, you know, really getting behind us. I mean, GT is probably the home side, but you see 90 percent of the guys are RCB fans. So that’s what we’ve earned over the years and we just continue to make them proud and try to put our best foot forward,” he mentioned.

Kohli signed off with a message of gratitude for the fans who have backed the team through nearly two decades.

“And yeah, their support is priceless and really happy that they can celebrate us lifting the trophy tonight and witness that.”

IANS