News For Kohli Paglus: Virat Kohli Will Now Feature In This Series After Successful IPL Season

Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season by retaining the trophy, defeating Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, while attention already shifts to Virat Kohli’s next appearance for India, which comes in the ODI series against Afghanistan later in June after the domestic T20 campaign.

RCB beat Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium to collect a second IPL title, chasing 156 with five wickets in hand and two overs left. Kohli anchored the reply with 75 not out from 43 balls, finishing the match with a six that sealed the championship defence.

IPL 2026 final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli and title defence

The final capped almost two months of IPL 2026 action, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru again featuring Kohli at the centre of events. The former captain, who has represented the team for 19 years, delivered the decisive blow with that winning hit, reinforcing long-term ties between Kohli and the Bengaluru franchise.

Kohli admitted the moment carried deep personal meaning, speaking shortly after lifting the trophy. "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," he told broadcasters after the match.

IPL 2026 season: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli and key contributions

While Kohli’s innings decided the chase, RCB’s bowlers created the platform by holding Gujarat Titans to 155. The attack kept control through most of the innings, restricting scoring options. Across IPL 2026, Bengaluru relied on several match-winning players, with different names stepping up at crucial stages to sustain the successful title defence.

Statistically, Kohli again stood near the top of the league charts. The Bengaluru batter finished IPL 2026 as the tournament’s fourth-highest run-scorer, collecting 675 runs. That haul underlined Kohli’s continued impact in domestic T20 cricket, even as the international schedule now features less of Kohli than in earlier years.

IPL 2026 aftermath: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Virat Kohli and India vs Afghanistan ODIs

In international cricket, Kohli now features only in One Day Internationals for India, which means appearances are rarer through the calendar. The next assignment comes against Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series, giving Kohli the opportunity to move from IPL form directly into 50-over action for the national side.

The Afghanistan series begins with a match scheduled in Mullanpur from June 6–10, followed by one-day fixtures on June 13, 17 and 20. Kohli is expected to take the field in the opening ODI on June 13, returning to national colours less than a fortnight after celebrating RCB’s successful IPL title defence.

RCB’s second championship, secured through disciplined bowling and Kohli’s unbeaten 75, closes a strong IPL 2026 campaign for the Bengaluru side. With 675 tournament runs and another trophy, Kohli now shifts focus to the Afghanistan ODIs, carrying recent form from the Narendra Modi Stadium into India’s next international series.