Veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar opened up on his evolving relationship with star batter Virat Kohli, noting a shift from playful banter to discussions about family and life beyond cricket.

Speaking on the podcast Talk with Manvendra, Bhuvneshwar revealed that his bond with Kohli has matured with time.

“Things are different now. When we meet these days, we talk more about family or off-the-ground matters because everyone has a family now. We talk about how we are doing in life other than cricket. Earlier, when we weren’t married and were younger, it was more about the usual fun and jokes boys have. So that’s where the change has come,” Bhuvneshwar said.

Despite their healthy off-field rapport, Bhuvneshwar insisted that professionalism drives their performance on the field.

“We never really need that bond to perform well. If RCB has picked me, Virat, or any other player, they want us to perform regardless of friendship. Everyone knows what they have to do on the ground. But off the ground, of course, things have changed. We’ve matured, we’ve grown older, so now the conversations are different,” he added.

Bhuvneshwar had an impressive IPL 2025 season for RCB, claiming 17 wickets in 14 matches. On the other hand, Kohli amassed 657 runs in 15 innings as the Bengaluru-based franchise clinched their maiden IPL title.

Bhuvneshwar also acknowledged Rajat Patidar's leadership and RCB's balanced team effort in securing their historic IPL 2025 victory.

“The best part was that since it was such an experienced team, Rajat didn’t have to do much. Where leadership was needed, he took decisions without hesitation. That’s a quality — knowing when to step in and when to let things be,” Bhuvneshwar said.

“This time, the biggest difference was that all players in the XI won matches at different times, in different situations. You can’t win a big tournament relying on just one or two players. Bowlers stepped up in some games, batters in others. In every stage, a new player emerged to win it for us,” he remarked.