IPL 2026: RCB coach Andy Flower hails Kohli as 'heartbeat' of the team

Virat Kohli and Andy Flower (Pic: PTI)

Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) triumph over the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium, RCB head coach Andy Flower hailed star batsman Virat Kohli as the heartbeat of the franchise. Flower emphasised that Kohli's intense work ethic and leadership made him an invaluable role model for the entire squad.

With this victory, the Rajat Patidar-led team became only the third franchise in IPL history to successfully defend its crown, joining Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. After restricting Gujarat to a modest 155/8, Bengaluru chased the target with five wickets in hand and two overs to spare.

In a celebratory video shared on RCB's official X account, Flower singled out Kohli, calling him the vital 'heartbeat' of the locker room. He lauded Kohli's unwavering desire to take on the world's best bowlers, adding how his approach sets a benchmark for younger players.

"Virat, I know you get a lot of attention and quite rightly. But I don't want to downplay that because you are a heartbeat in this dressing room. And the courage that you continually show to go out there and put yourself on the line and take on high-quality opposition is a bloody great role modelling for all of us," Flower said in the video.

Andy Flower delighted with RCB's 'bravery'

Flower also praised the team's courage and character throughout the season, especially during the IPL 2026 playoffs. He said that while success at the highest level requires skill and cricketing intelligence, it is heart and bravery that make the difference, and said that RCB displayed those qualities consistently in their successful title defence.

"When I think of our season, and I particularly think of the last couple of games in the playoffs, what really stands out for me is the bravery of you guys in the middle. There's been countless examples of it. But when you're playing at the top level, and that's Test cricket or World Cups or IPL, you need to be obviously highly skilful. You need to have cricket intelligence, but you really need to have heart. And we've seen that in abundance this year," Flower said.

(With ANI inputs)