Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured their IPL 2026 championship with a magnificent unbeaten 75 from 42 balls by Virat Kohli, defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in Sunday’s final at Ahmedabad. Pursuing 156 runs, Kohli stayed not out throughout the innings, steering RCB to back-to-back IPL championships. Despite playing through injury, he recorded his quickest fifty in IPL history. GT had earlier been limited to 155/8 across their 20 overs following a superb bowling display by RCB. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar chose to field after winning the toss, a decision that proved successful as GT captain Shubman Gill and opener Sai Sudharsan both fell during the powerplay. Washington Sundar capitalized on a dropped chance to score a half-century. Rasikh Salam Dar claimed three scalps, with Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar securing two wickets apiece. RCB Claims Second Straight IPL Title in Dominant Fashion.
TOSS
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the coin flip and elected to bowl first.
PLAYING XI
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI):
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar
GUJARAT TITANS
Patidar broke tradition by choosing to bowl first in a final amid a thunderous atmosphere, yet his opening bowlers justified his decision. Sudharsan struck several boundaries through flicks and drives, surviving an appeal for caught behind via DRS against Jacob Duffy. However, RCB’s experienced pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood delivered crucial breakthroughs in the powerplay. The surface showed signs of sluggishness, prompting the fast bowlers to target short and back-of-length deliveries. Hazlewood forced Gill into a mistimed pull to mid-on, while Bhuvneshwar had Sudharsan caught by Jitesh Sharma, who moved well to his right to complete the dismissal. The boundary-free powerplay concluded with Nishant Sindhu and Jos Buttler managing just 45/2.
Rasikh Salam’s cross-seam delivery found its target in Sindhu, who picked out Devdutt Padikkal at long-on after a quiet 20 from 18 balls. GT’s batting woes continued relentlessly, going 35 deliveries without a boundary after the powerplay as Krunal Pandya delivered economical spells. During this drought, he demonstrated his final-match expertise by dismissing Buttler.
Arshad Khan arrived with attacking intent and broke the six drought in the 13th over. Washington then breathed life into the struggling innings with consecutive boundaries, while Arshad added another maximum in a productive 16-run 14th over. Patidar quickly applied pressure again by recalling Hazlewood, who maintained his hard-length strategy to trap Arshad at short fine leg.
Rasikh Salam removed Rahul Tewatia in the 16th over, and Bhuvneshwar employed another short delivery to dismiss Jason Holder. However, Washington Sundar persevered to provide his team with a defendable total. He dispatched Hazlewood for three boundaries in the 18th over and reached his fifty from 37 balls in the final over, pushing GT beyond 150.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU
Virat Kohli’s powerplay strokeplay was pure artistry in motion. The highlight arrived on the third delivery of the fourth over when Rabada bowled a full ball at 155 kph, only for Kohli’s bottom hand to produce a devastating whip over mid-wicket for six. As lengths shortened, the pull shot emerged with equal venom in a 19-run over featuring three fours.
Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer, apparently nursing a knee injury, also found boundaries freely against Rabada, collecting 18 runs in the previous over. RCB raced to 55 without loss after four overs, effectively ending GT’s hopes. Even consecutive wickets of Venkatesh and Devdutt Padikkal couldn’t derail RCB’s momentum as they reached 70/2 after the powerplay.
Rajat Patidar launched Siraj for six in the seventh over and struck a four off Jason Holder to maintain RCB’s comfortable run rate. The crafty leg-spinner then entered to inject life into the contest. Patidar misjudged a full delivery while attempting to clear long-on, with Rabada completing a catch near the boundary rope. The same over saw Krunal Pandya fall lbw, giving GT renewed hope.
Despite limping from his injury, Kohli reached his fastest IPL fifty in just 25 balls, continuing his assault to prevent RCB from collapsing from a commanding position—an experience he’d endured in the 2016 final. Tim David supported him in a 41-run stand before edging behind off Arshad Khan.
A tense period followed as GT attempted a late comeback. They introduced impact substitute Prasidh Krishna seeking further breakthroughs, but none materialized. Kohli nearly departed when Shubman Gill appeared to catch him at mid-off, but the umpire’s review revealed the ball had touched the ground.
Last year’s final featured an emotional Kohli in tears near the boundary, overwhelmed by his first IPL triumph. Twelve months later, he stood at the center, launching the ball over long-on to clinch a second consecutive title.
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Titans 155/8 in 20 overs [Washington Sundar 50* (37); Rasikh Dar 3-27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-29] lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 in 18 overs [Virat Kohli 75* (42); Rashid Khan 2-25] by 5 wickets.
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