'It's stuff that you dream of' – Kohli on hitting the winning runs in an IPL final

Virat Kohli said a relaxed approach, clear roles and confidence in the squad were key factors behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru's successful defence of their IPL title.

Named the Player of the Final for his superlative 75* in yet another chasing masterclass that guided the franchise to their second successive IPL trophy, Kohli described the occasion as a moment he'd "imagined for years".

"It's stuff that you dream of. I've thought of this moment many times, that once when we win the IPL, I should be standing there hitting the winning runs. Tonight, it was possible."

Kohli said RCB entered the high-stakes contest against hosts Gujarat Titans confident in their processes rather than focussed on the opposition.

"We just felt really relaxed coming to the game today and really confident about how we wanted to go about our game and what kind of team we have. That gives you confidence to just see any kind of situation through," he said.

The victory capped yet another strong edition for Kohli, who registered the fastest half-century of his IPL career – in 25 balls – in the final of his 19th season in the competition. The former RCB skipper said the demands of the modern T20 game has forced him to evolve as a batter.

"You see these super young players pushing you all the time and really asking you to change your game and up the ante," Kohli said. "It's an exciting situation because it gives you something to improve on, something to work towards. I just take a lot of pride in getting better and just trying to figure out areas where I can improve.

"So, yeah, it was just the demands of today's modern game where you need to get those 20, 30 extra runs. I had to kind of change my mindset, not my game so much, to hit the shots I hit, but more often and take the bowlers on, probably the best bowlers in the opposition. That was always my target."

Kohli also highlighted the role of experience in high-pressure matches. "We have a lot of mature players in the group, a lot of experienced guys. Experience always shines through in difficult situations," he said. "You can have all the excitement and slam bang in the world, but come the big situations, you need the big boys to step up."

Kohli revealed that their approach to the 156-run chase was set in a brief chat with fellow opener Venkatesh Iyer. "I just told him one thing – we need to kill the game in the Powerplay. And he said, 'Yeah, let's go', " Kohli said. "There was total clarity. We just wanted to strike and take the bowlers on because we knew in a big game, if you lose a couple of wickets, things can get tricky."

Kohli lauded Iyer's contribution, who had been promoted to open at the backend of the tournament. "His intent was probably the difference-maker for us in the last three or four games."

Kohli also noted how RCB's title defence was built on contributions throughout the squad rather than individual brilliance. "Even tonight – I know it's a chase and they probably look to get me out early – but I was very confident that even if I get out early, we have a champion team that's going to finish the job."

He also credited the management for assembling a balanced squad that had all bases covered, and pointed to the team's collective belief as a major reason for their success. "When you have that kind of confidence, you can go out there and really take the bowlers on. That's credit to the management, the way they stacked up the squad, the talent of the players, the belief that the players have shown – that's why we stand here as champions back-to-back, which is a special feat."

"That's exactly what Mo Bobat said when we won last year, that it's not the end of the road. We're going to look to go back-to-back. And that's exactly what we ended up achieving."