Stars Align Again: Virat, Patidar Celebrate RCB’s Second Successive Crown

Virat Kohli and skipper Rajat Patidar have got the fans counting stars again as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) completed back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) title wins.

In a now-viral image, cricket icon Virat and captain Rajat are seen hoisting giant golden stars above their heads as celebrations continue following Bengaluru's second successive IPL title.

Shared after Sunday's commanding final victory over Gujarat, the image quickly struck a chord across social media, with each star representing a championship triumph and capturing the significance of another historic season.

The team's kit sponsor, PUMA, celebrated the title win with a visual titled, "Good Things Come in Pairs".

With back-to-back IPL titles and two Women's Premier League crowns, the Bengaluru-based franchise has established itself as one of the defining forces in Indian cricket.

After securing consecutive IPL titles, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar stressed that the team's main focus is on maintaining their success and aiming for a third consecutive championship.

RCB clinched IPL 2026 glory, riding on a stunning 75* off 42 by Virat Kohli, to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

RCB gunned down a tricky 156 runs to join five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) in the elite list of clubs to have won back-to-back IPL titles.

"We will celebrate winning the IPL trophy in 2026, obviously, but our focus will be on how we can do three in a row," Patidar told the reporters after the match.

Patidar said RCB felt less pressure in 2026 than in 2025 because of their dominant performances throughout the tournament. Patidar also described his leadership style as calm and reserved, noting that while he is not highly expressive, he remains fully aware of the game's situations and demands.

"To be honest, if I compare with last year, there was a lot of pressure in 2025. This year was calmer, because the way we played throughout the tournament, I think we have not just played, we dominated this year,” the two-time IPL winning captain said.

“So we were pretty much confident that if we were playing like this, we're definitely going to win the second title for RCB. And my way of captaincy is different. I don't express. I'm not expressive, but at the same time, I'm aware of the game situation," Patidar added.

(With inputs from ANI)