Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) celebrated their successful title defense in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans, receiving accolades from across the sports community, including England football captain Harry Kane. Kane expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli on Instagram, praising his performance and congratulating RCB on their back-to-back titles. This victory, achieved at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, made RCB only the third team in IPL history to win consecutive championships, following Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Captain Rajat Patidar, who joined an elite group of captains with this win, highlighted Kohli's significant influence on the team, particularly in mentoring younger players. Patidar reflected on the emotions tied to their previous title win but emphasized the team's focus on the present and their strategic approach to the match. He noted the effectiveness of their bowlers throughout the tournament, which played a key role in their victory.