Key Takeaways
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their second consecutive IPL championship by defeating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in Ahmedabad.
- Virat Kohli anchored the 156-run chase with an explosive 75 off 42 balls, wrapping up the game with two overs to spare.
- Rasikh Salam led the RCB bowling attack with figures of 3 for 27, keeping Gujarat to 155 for 8 despite Washington Sundar’s unbeaten fifty.
The final ended in huge celebrations as Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the IPL 2026 trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After winning their first title last year, RCB have now won back-to-back championships.
Bowlers Set the Trap
RCB captain Rajat Patidar called it right at the toss and put Gujarat in to bat. It didn’t take long for his bowlers to reward that decision. Veteran pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood struck early, sending openers Shubman Gill (10) and Sai Sudharsan (12) back to the dugout inside the powerplay.
From there, young pacer Rasikh Salam completely took over. He ripped through Gujarat’s middle order with brilliant figures of 3 for 27, taking out Nishant Sindhu (20) and Rahul Tewatia (7). Krunal Pandya also chipped in with a lightning-fast stumping to get rid of the dangerous Jos Buttler for 19.
Gujarat found themselves in serious trouble before Washington Sundar fought back. Sundar played a gritty, unbeaten knock of 50 off 37 balls under immense pressure to push his team to a defendable 155 for 8.
Kohli Finishes the Job
Chasing 156 in a high-stakes final didn’t faze RCB’s batting lineup. Virat Kohli went on the attack right out of the gate, smashing 75 runs off just 42 balls. He hammered nine fours and three sixes, easily handling elite bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj to put Bengaluru in complete control.
Venkatesh Iyer kept the momentum going with a quickfire 32 off 16 balls, while Tim David (24) and Rajat Patidar (15) did their part to keep the scoreboard ticking. Finally, Jitesh Sharma joined Kohli in the middle, and the duo safely navigated the rest of the chase. They crossed the finish line in just 18 overs, losing five wickets along the way.
It’s a massive night for Bengaluru. By securing their second straight trophy, they’ve officially cemented their place in IPL history as a powerhouse franchise.