India, June 1 -- AB de Villiers feels that without Virat Kohli in their batting order, Royal Challengers Bengaluru would have found it difficult in the IPL 2026 final. Kohli was in vintage form as RCB defeated Gujarat Titans to successfully defend their IPL title and also win their second trophy. During the run chase, RCB batters came and left, but Kohli was resolute and paced his approach with his unbeaten 42-ball 75.

Chasing 156 runs, RCB got off to a strong start via opener Venkatesh Iyer, who raced to a 16-ball 32 before losing his wicket in the fifth over. Introduced as an Impact Player, he hit four fours and two maximums, and also struck at 200.00. After Iyer's departure, RCB suddenly went through a shaky phase as batters came and ...