Ahmedabad, June 1 (BNP): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continued their dominance in the Indian Premier League (IPL), clinching their second successive title with a convincing five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
A clinical all-round performance, spearheaded by Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 and a disciplined bowling display from the pace unit, helped Bengaluru comfortably chase down a modest target of 156 with two overs to spare.
Opting to bowl first, RCB bowlers delivered under pressure, dismantling Gujarat’s batting lineup and restricting them to 155/8 in 20 overs. Fast bowlers Rasikh Salam, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck crucial blows at regular intervals to keep GT under control throughout the innings.
Josh Hazlewood provided the early breakthrough by dismissing Gujarat skipper Shubman Gill for 10, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Sai Sudharsan soon after, denting GT’s hopes in the powerplay. Gujarat struggled to recover as wickets continued to tumble against Bengaluru’s disciplined attack.
Despite the collapse, Washington Sundar stood firm and played a fighting unbeaten knock of 50, helping Gujarat cross the 150-run mark. Nishant Sindhu and Jos Buttler attempted to stabilise the innings but failed to convert their starts into substantial contributions.
Chasing 156, Bengaluru got off to a flying start courtesy of Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, who stitched together a quickfire 62-run opening stand. Iyer’s aggressive 32 off 16 balls gave RCB early momentum before Mohammed Siraj broke the partnership.
Kohli then took complete control of the chase, anchoring the innings with composure and authority. The veteran batter smashed nine boundaries and three sixes in his unbeaten 42-ball 75, registering his fifth half-century of the season.
Although Gujarat found brief hope through Rashid Khan, who dismissed Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya in quick succession, Kohli steadied the innings alongside Tim David and later Jitesh Sharma to guide Bengaluru home.
Kohli fittingly sealed the title with a towering six, sparking celebrations among teammates and thousands of RCB supporters inside the packed Narendra Modi Stadium.
Named Player of the Match, Kohli described the moment as a dream fulfilled and credited the team’s confidence and consistency for the successful title defence.
With the triumph, skipper Rajat Patidar joined an elite list of captains to win consecutive IPL titles, while RCB further cemented their status as one of the tournament’s dominant forces in recent seasons.
Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, ended runners-up for the second time in three IPL finals, with their only title victory coming in their debut season in 2022.