RCB Clinch IPL 2026 Title, Defeat GT by Five Wickets

This victory not only marked RCB’s second IPL title but also brought the organization its fourth trophy in Indian franchise cricket, which includes two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.

Kohli Leads Chase in IPL Final

Chasing a target of 156, RCB showcased their strength to secure their second consecutive IPL title. Kohli’s performance was especially remarkable, as he battled through pain from injuries to achieve the fastest half-century of his IPL career.

RCB’s chase began on a solid note, with a strong 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer, who scored 32 runs off 16 balls, and Virat Kohli. Although the Titans fought back and reduced RCB to 132 for 5 at one stage, Kohli kept his composure, ultimately guiding RCB to victory with two overs to spare, as they crossed the finish line at 156 runs. It was a match filled with excitement and a testament to the team's resilience and skill.

Titans Struggle Against RCB Bowling Attack

Batting first, the Gujarat Titans managed to score 155 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar was the standout performer for GT, scoring an unbeaten 50 runs off 37 balls, backed by Nishant Sindhu, who contributed 20 runs off 18 balls. 

RCB's bowlers, including Rasikh Dar Salam (3 wickets for 27 runs), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 for 29), and Josh Hazlewood (2 for 37), kept the pressure on the Titans by taking wickets at crucial moments.

Kohli Praises Team's Calm Approach

Virat Kohli said, "I said to a few of the boys that it doesn't feel like the same pressure. We topped the group and said one thing, if we stick to our cricket we are the best in the comp. The skillsets, the maturity and composure, shone through tonight in a clinical performance. We had a couple of losses after the break, it was a tricky week but the belief kicked back in after that win over KKR."

He added, “We've had to wait so long, and now you step to the ground and so many guys behind you, you don't need to step up everytime. So many man of the match awards spread through. World class bowling like Hoff, Bhuv, Duff, Krunal, Rasikh was brilliant this season. Batting chipped in everywhere too.”

Playing XI's: GT AND RCB

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing Xl’s: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazelwood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Impact Subs: Venkatesh Iyer, Kanishk Chohan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

Gujarat Titans Playing Xl's: Shubman Gill (c), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Holder, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj

Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore