'Anderson one of best bowlers I've faced', says Virat Kohli

The 37-year-old Kohli played a vital role in RCB's title win last season, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament, contributing significantly with 66 fours and multiple fifty-plus scores.

India topped Group A with an unbeaten record, though they suffered a setback in the Super Eight stage, losing to South Africa by 76 runs. The Men in Blue bounced back in style, defeating West Indies in a virtual quarter-final, England in the semi-final, and ultimately New Zealand in the final.

The right-handed batter has amassed 8661 runs in 267 matches and 259 innings in IPL history. Kohli has an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 132.85. The former RCB captain has smashed eight centuries and 63 half-centuries in the tournament's history.

The tournament witnessed some breathtaking catches, heartbeat-raising run-chases, magnificent cricketing shots and bowling spells that capture the nature of modern-day T20 cricket, and several records were broken. Some individuals from the present and future of the format lit up the tournament.

Sanju Samson's 89 off 46 balls helped India post a mammoth 254 in the first innings. He was the top scorer by anyone in the match. Notably, it was his third successive fifty and a match-defining innings from Samson's bat. He also scored an unbeaten 97 in a do-or-die Super 8s clash against West Indies and then scored 89 against England in the semifinals.