To assert with any certainty that there was always a sense of inevitability about Royal Challengers Bengaluru storming to a second successive IPL title can only come with the assurance of a mission already accomplished. But there is no denying that from the outset, it was clear that this juggernaut would take some stopping.The weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders last June, when they ended years of heartbreak with a six-run defeat of Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad. At the same Narendra Modi Stadium, they etched their name on the trophy for the second time on Sunday night, brushing aside Gujarat Titans with a chilling finality that resonated with their army of fans across the world.Rajat Patidar, the unassuming and unlikely hero of this remarkable transformation, couldn’t have given himself a better birthday gift. The Madhya Pradesh man turned 33 on Monday; he also turned a corner of sorts as he joined M.S. Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as the only captains to have successfully defended the IPL trophy.‘Attacking’ the title‘Defend’ was actually a word missing from the Bengaluru franchise’s lexicon all season long. They didn’t quite relish the tag of ‘defending champions’ because that’s not how they have reshaped their philosophy. It was therefore in the fitness of things that they attacked a second title rather than defended the first one.The skipper was at the forefront of many a stunning cameo, though the more meaningful and numerically significant contributions came from two men who joined the franchise as teenagers so many moons ago.Virat Kohli was picked up by the flamboyant but also prescient Vijay Mallya at the draft for under-19 players ahead of the inaugural edition. Kohli had just led the Indian colts to a memorable title run in Kuala Lumpur, even then showing a feisty aggression that remains his calling card.Delhi Daredevils, who had the first bite at the draft cherry, passed up the opportunity to snap up the burgeoning local hero, investing instead in the left-arm pace of Pradeep Sangwan because they felt they already had enough top-order batting options in skipper Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan and AB de Villiers.Gem of a pickRCB’s turn was next, and they grabbed Kohli with both hands, sparking a bond for the ages. There is no gainsaying how Kohli’s IPL career, potentially even his India career, would have panned out had he turned out first for Daredevils (renamed Delhi Capitals). But with RCB, he has grown organically, from a young tyro occupying a dressing room populated by the likes of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, among others, to a leader of men and now an elder statesman who continues to be the fulcrum that has effectively kept Father Time at bay.