‘They will be favourites for coming years’: Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma on RCB’s dominant title defense

New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) After Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their IPL title, batting talisman Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma lauded the franchise’s professional blueprint, and the team played like champions throughout the season and added another golden chapter to their history by lifting their second successive title.

RCB defeated 2022 winners Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium to successfully defend their crown. Chasing 156, RCB reached 161/5 with 12 balls to spare, becoming only the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to retain the IPL title.

“Yeah, it was a good achievement, but since the beginning itself they (RCB) were playing like champions, and they showed it on the ground that they are defending champions. They came with a very professional approach this year, and that is why they won the match easily and the trophy as well,” Sharma told IANS on Monday.

With their second IPL trophy, RCB came level with multiple-title winners, cementing their place among the competition’s most successful sides. Following the win, talismanic batter Virat Kohli had remarked that he “didn’t feel the same pressure as last year,” which his childhood coach finds entirely natural given the historic context of their maiden title.

“Well, it is something natural,” Sharma said, reacting to Kohli’s statement. “They won it last year after a wait of 17 years. So, everybody was so excited. But since they have won last time… they celebrated, but I mean, waiting for something for years and then you win it, that’s why the excitement (and pressure) was more (the first time).”

With two trophies now in the cabinet, discussions have naturally shifted toward a potential hat-trick of titles. Sharma believes that if RCB maintains their current template of collective effort, they will head into the upcoming seasons as the team to beat.

“Obviously, they should look [at a third title] the way they are playing. They are doing very well, they are playing like a champion team and everybody is doing their part. So, I think they would be favourites for the coming years,” he concluded.

–IANS

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