Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became only the third team in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to successfully defend their title after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Virat Kohli led the charge with the fastest half-century of his IPL career as RCB chased down a modest target of 156 in 18 overs to claim back-to-back trophies. The victory places RCB alongside Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the only franchises to have defended the IPL trophy.
Virat Kohli slams his fastest fifty in IPL history. Photo: Creimas for IPL
Chasing 156, RCB made an explosive start through Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer. The duo added 62 runs in just 27 deliveries, putting the Titans under immediate pressure. While Iyer departed in the fifth over after a brisk cameo, Kohli continued to dominate the bowling attack.
The former RCB captain brought up his fifty in just 25 balls — the quickest of his IPL career — and ensured there were no hiccups in the chase. His aggressive intent on a surface that had troubled GT batters earlier in the evening effectively took the contest away from the home side.
RCB eventually reached the target with five wickets in hand and two overs to spare, capping off another memorable campaign.
Kohli finished in style, a four and six to ensue RCB lift their second title in 19 seasons.
RCB bowlers set up title triumph
Earlier, RCB's bowlers laid the foundation for victory by restricting Gujarat Titans to 155 for eight after Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first on a sluggish pitch.
The Narendra Modi Stadium surface, a combination of red and black soil, offered enough assistance for bowlers who hit the right lengths consistently. RCB's attack adapted quickly, denying the Titans any momentum throughout their innings.
Josh Hazlewood struck an early blow when GT captain Shubman Gill's attempted swipe resulted in a simple catch for Patidar. Sai Sudharsan, another key pillar of Gujarat's batting line-up this season, also failed to make an impact. The left-hander, who survived an earlier appeal through DRS, miscued a pull shot off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was caught by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
With Gill and Sudharsan back in the pavilion, Gujarat ended the Power Play at a subdued 45 for two. The pair had accumulated more than 700 runs each during the season, making their early dismissals a significant setback.
Washington fights lone battle
Washington Sundar provided the lone bright spot for GT with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, including five fours. However, he received little support from the rest of the batting order.
Jos Buttler made 19, while Nishant Sindhu's 20 off 18 balls failed to inject momentum into the innings. Young pacer Rasikh Salam Dhar continued his impressive season with figures of 3/27, dismissing Sindhu and Rahul Tewatia among others to derail any hopes of a late recovery.
GT's struggles were evident from the fact that they had to wait until the 13th over for their first six of the innings, which came through Washington's powerful hit over midwicket off Krunal Pandya.
Hazlewood (2/37) and Bhuvneshwar (2/29) provided valuable support to Rasikh, consistently squeezing the scoring rate and forcing errors from the Titans batters.
The total ultimately proved well below par, and Kohli's masterclass ensured RCB completed the chase comfortably to lift their second IPL title and successfully defend the crown.
