This happened quietly at first. For a franchise long defined by superstar culture, debatable auction moves and heartbreaks, it would take something monumental for the narrative to shift. That moment arrived in 2025, when RCB surged to an emotional, long-awaited maiden IPL title.
It was hard to miss that they had finally won silverware under an unheralded rookie captain, Rajat Patidar, who achieved what none of Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis could.
It felt as if, after all those years, the stars had finally aligned.
They had done so in the most unexpected ways. When escalating tensions between India and Pakistan forced a temporary suspension of the tournament, it was an unwelcome and unnerving disruption for every team in the league. For RCB, though, it came with a silver lining.
It gave Patidar a chance to recover from a wrist injury. It gave Josh Hazlewood, RCB’s premier fast bowler, time to return home, rehabilitate from a shoulder injury, and come back refreshed for the playoffs. The break also gave Phil Salt time at home with his pregnant wife.
When the tournament resumed, RCB picked up right where they left off, with Hazlewood starring in back-to-back wins over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1 and the final. When an emotional Kohli celebrated in Ahmedabad alongside AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, the two other members of RCB’s all-time batting trinity, it felt both poignant and cathartic.
All the on-field moments of IPL 2025 paled into insignificance against the backdrop of the tragic events of June 4•AFP/Getty Images
But the celebrations of a triumph that had been 18 years in the making lasted all of 18 hours. Cricket paled into insignificance against the backdrop of the tragedy that unfolded outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium’s gates on June 4. A moment that should have united Bengaluru in joy took away 11 lives instead, engulfing the city in grief and anger.
The aftermath, for RCB and the other stakeholders, was all about legal proceedings, finger-pointing, and attempts to save face. For the players and coaching staff, a season of on-field triumph never reached its natural conclusion.
Having regathered earlier this month for IPL 2026, the group has finally had some time to reflect on the magnitude of their achievements. For Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, the shift in the nature of their conversations has been tangible.
“In my previous couple of seasons, the question was, ‘When are we going to win it?’ At least the fans are asking a different question now. ‘Are we going to win it again?’ It’s nice, to feel that excitement.
“But in terms of the players and the focus, we want to feel the confidence of what we achieved last year, but we’re looking forward to not looking back. This is a new campaign, it’s a new season. All the other teams have improved in what they’ve done, they’ve all strengthened their squad. And we have to respect our opposition, we can’t take anything for granted.”
That forward-looking mindset defines this phase of RCB’s journey. Bobat, and captain Patidar, are clear about one thing: they’re “not defending anything.” They’re simply trying to win again. It’s a message the team has emphasised in meetings ever since they regathered.
For how much longer will RCB’s fans get to watch this man?•PTI
This future-first thinking naturally makes you wonder about the figure who has come to define the franchise’s journey. As with MS Dhoni over recent seasons with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), there is a growing sense of anxiety among RCB fans over how long they will have with their talisman Kohli.
Unlike Dhoni, who is six years into international retirement, Kohli isn’t winding down just yet. He’s still very much in pursuit of the ODI World Cup, which eluded him in 2023. And if he sets his mind on something, he will pursue it relentlessly, which can only be a good thing as far as his preparedness for the IPL is concerned.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching masters of their art practise,” RCB head coach Andy Flower said of Kohli. “Watching him closely, he looks on top of his game… he’s super fit, light on his feet, very lean, and very hungry.”
That hunger, Flower believes, remains central to who Kohli is. “He’s always been very determined, but now he’s also in a really comfortable space with himself as a person. That’s a powerful place for a professional sportsperson to be.”
Even in a phase where he is playing only one international format, the signs, according to Flower, are unmistakable. “He’s aware of it [returning to action after a long gap], but at the moment, watching him time the ball and strike it in training, he looks at the peak of his powers.”
On Saturday, RCB will kick off their new campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy. It was here, against the same opponents, that RCB began the turnaround that turned them into a title-winning force. It happened not last year but in 2024. It was their fifth successive defeat, but with it came a decisive shift.
On the day, RCB’s bowlers conceded 287, which remains the highest total in any IPL game. Then the batting unit responded with fireworks of their own, and went on to score 262. A batting unit whose approach until then had bordered on conservatism had finally been unshackled.
RCB then went on a sensational ride to the playoffs via a six-match winning streak, having won only one in eight games until then. Kohli was central to that shift, batting at a significantly higher tempo and unveiling strokes he had rarely relied on before, including the slog sweep. From that point on, RCB’s approach carried a different intent.
As they gear up to face SRH once more at the Chinnaswamy, it feels like the completion of an arc in RCB’s evolution. Reshaped by triumph and tragedy, and under new ownership, they are about to step into a new era.
Shashank Kishore is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo