New Delhi, June 1 -- Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles on Monday highlighted the strong sporting and cultural ties between Australia and India, pointing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) title win.

He praised RCB's batting heavyweight Virat Kohli's match-winning innings and noted the contributions of Australian players Josh Hazlewood and Tim David, saying their combined success reflected the close and collaborative relationship between the two nations.

"When I was here last year, it was the morning after the final of the Indian Premier League, as it is, of course, this morning. Last night, as we saw a year ago, we saw RCB triumph. But I like the fact that Virat Kohli wa...