We’re very lucky to have Kohli in the RCB dressing room, says Andy Flower

Virat Kohli scored 675 runs in 16 matches with a strike-rate of 165.85

Ahmedabad:  Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower said the franchise is ‘very lucky’ to have veteran batter Virat Kohli in the dressing room, hailing the former skipper’s hunger and drive as ‘genuinely inspiring’ after RCB defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 crown with a five‑wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Kohli smashed a majestic 42-ball 75 not out, laced with nine fours and three sixes, as RCB completed a chase of 156 to retain the title they won at the same venue in 2025. Kohli also reached his fifty in 25 balls – the fastest he’s reached the half-century mark in his history of playing the IPL.

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“You asked about Virat’s hunger and how that affects him. When I was in the dressing room last night after the game, I mentioned it actually. His hunger and drive it’s genuinely inspiring. Even for older blokes like me, seeing someone as hungry and driven, as disciplined and as ambitious as he still is, it’s wonderful to witness. And we’re very lucky to have him in the dressing room.

“He sets certain standards, like standards of intensity in the field, for instance, that means that anyone falling below those is going to stand out like a sore thumb. So we don’t need coaches driving intensity on standards in the field, for instance, because he’s living it and doing it. And everyone else has to raise their games to get anywhere near it,” Flower said in a virtual press conference on Monday.

The former Zimbabwe captain, who coached England to the 2010 Men’s T20 World Cup title win, added, “He works hard at his game, but you can see that he loves it as well. He loves batting. He loves hitting a ball. He loves the feeling of the ball meeting the middle of the bat. I would imagine the craft and mastery that he feels when he’s got a bat in his hands. Again, those standards are easy for people in our training sessions to see, and certainly it just helps everyone head in the right direction.”

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar also acknowledged Kohli’s influence on his own leadership journey after being appointed the side’s captain ahead of winning their first title in the 2025 season. “Regarding Virat bhai, as I said in many press conferences and interviews, his presence makes a lot of difference. For me, it’s great learning. Whenever I’m around him on the field and off the field, I always notice him. I don’t speak much, but I always notice him.“But whenever I have some kind of doubts regarding the leadership role or taking any decision, I always go to Virat bhai. For me, it’s a great opportunity to learn from the best and the greats of cricket. So, their ideas, inputs, and experience are definitely helping me a lot to grow in my new leadership role,” he said.

Under Patidar’s captaincy, RCB have now won back‑to‑back IPL titles and have shed their long‑standing reputation as perennial underachievers. The Indore-based batter himself had a standout campaign, scoring 501 runs at a strike rate of 192.69, including a match‑winning 93 not out in Qualifier 1.

“It’s not like I had to go in and target the bowlers from ball number one. No one in the team was doing that. It’s important to back your instincts. We did a lot of hard work before the tournament with DK (Dinesh Karthik, batting coach-cum-mentor), Flower, and Mo Bobat (Director of Cricket) were also there.

“There was more clarity about my role. I was pretty clear that if I’m batting in the middle overs, I can maximise and I can take a risk. I like taking risks, so if I am playing in the middle overs phase, I like to maximise every bowler. If I feel I have to go after the attack on my second delivery, I back myself and go with full clarity,” he added.

Patidar also drew praise from Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, who labelled him the ‘most stylish performer’ of the season. Responding to the compliment, Patidar said, “I have spent a lot of time with Shreyas. In my first season in Ranji, we played Mumbai, and at that time, he scored a lot of runs.

“I admire him a lot. The way he was dominating in red‑ball cricket, the shots that he was playing. At that point, it was my first season, and after looking at him, I changed my mindset. The way he was playing was unbelievable. Thanks to Shreyas for the words he spoke for me.”

Patidar also mentioned Rajasthan Royals’ 15‑year‑old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who won the Orange Cap with 776 runs, as the standout performer of the season. “It’s pretty clear, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He’s so young, and the way he’s dominated this tournament. He just didn’t play; he dominated every top bowler. So the way he played his shots, he’s amazing. Whenever I saw him on TV, it was just superb. I wish him luck.”