Home
Virat Kohli-inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their title after crushing Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League 2026 final at the Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi stadium on May 31. With this RCB became only the third team after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to win back-to-back IPL titles.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kohli's artistry hands RCB second consecutive IPL title
After winning the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar elected to bowl first, a decision that paid off handsomely as a cohesive bowling performance silenced the home crowd early on. The Gujarat Titans struggled to build momentum, managing only a modest total of 155 runs in their allotted 20 overs. This sluggish output was primarily due to a disastrous Powerplay that saw the cheap departures of both skipper Shubman Gill and the in-form Sai Sudharsan.
Virat Kohli's masterclass on full display
In reply, RCB's aggressive intent was on full display when Virat Kohli dismantled Kagiso Rabada, taking the premier fast bowler apart with a spectacular sequence of 4, 4, 6, 4. This onslaught came immediately after his opening partner, Venkatesh Iyer, had inflicted similar damage on the South African speedster in the second over of the innings, which leaked a costly 18 runs. Together, Kohli and Venkatesh put on a blistering 62-run partnership in just 4.3 overs, effectively extinguishing any lingering hopes of a Gujarat Titans fightback before the chase had even properly begun.
With Rabada completely neutralized during his three-over opening spell, the Titans lacked the necessary ammunition to make inroads during the Powerplay. RCB took full advantage of the depleted bowling attack, plundering 70 runs for the loss of two wickets in the first six overs. However, the game saw a sudden shift in momentum as a quick succession of wickets followed. The dismissals of Venkatesh and Devdutt Padikkal, coupled with the rapid departures of skipper Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya, saw RCB suddenly slip from a position of absolute comfort to a precarious 91 for four.
Amid this sudden cavern of chaos, Kohli stood as firm as a fortress to single-handedly halt Gujarat's surging advances. The 37-year-old maestro brought up his fifth half-century of the season in emphatic fashion, authoritatively pulling a boundary off pacer Arshad Khan. He found an able ally in Tim David, who unleashed a mini-storm by smashing 24 runs off just 17 balls to drastically ease the mounting pressure on the veteran opener.
The chase was not without its late drama, as Kohli survived a massive scare when a catch taken by Shubman Gill off Arshad Khan’s bowling was sent upstairs, only for the TV umpire to rule that the ball had bumped along the grass. Capitalizing on his reprieve, the champion batter fitly sealed the championship for RCB just moments later, launching Arshad over the ropes for a magnificent, match-winning six.
RCB bowlers keep GT in check
Before Virat Kohli put on a masterful display of his timeless white-ball abilities, the RCB bowlers exploited a sluggish pitch to perfection. Utilizing a surface made of a mixed red and black soil on pitch No. 6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the bowling unit made shot-making an incredibly difficult proposition. Their disciplined execution completely choked the Gujarat Titans' batting lineup, restricting a lethargic-looking side to a sub-par total of 155 for eight.
The Titans' cause was likely hindered by off-field exhaustion, as the fatigue of playing Qualifier 2 just two nights prior, combined with a delayed departure out of Mullanpur due to inclement weather, seemed to take a physical toll. However, none of these circumstances should detract from the brilliance of the RCB bowlers, who expertly deciphered the surface and consistently hit the ideal lengths to keep the batsmen guessing.
Gujarat desperately needed their prolific opening duo of Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan—who had both amassed over 700 runs each this season—to fire upfront and lay the foundation for a competitive total. Instead, the defending champions struck early. Gill’s attempted swat off Josh Hazlewood took a thick leading edge, resulting in a simple catch for his opposing captain, Rajat Patidar. Sudharsan, who had narrowly survived an earlier caught-behind appeal via a successful DRS review, followed his partner shortly after when he mistimed a pull against a sharp, high bouncer from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, giving wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma an easy catch.
The quick departure of their two primary anchors left the Titans' batting completely rudderless, limping through an underwhelming Powerplay phase at 45 for two. The rest of the lineup lacked the necessary spark to launch a meaningful recovery act. While Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar attempted to glue the crumbling innings back together, they struggled immensely to shake off a defensive mindset. Sundar did manage to resist the collapse, fighting a lonely battle to finish unbeaten on a 37-ball half-century, but the damage inflicted at the other end was far too severe to mitigate.
Young speedster Rasikh Salam Dar continued his spectacular tournament run by providing excellent support to veteran leaders Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood. He tore through the middle order, dismissing an out-of-sync Nishant Sindhu for 20 and later removing the dangerous Rahul Tewatia, ensuring the home side lost the absolute cream of their batting lineup before even crossing the 100-run mark.
Highlighting Gujarat's immense turmoil on the big stage, the batting side had to wait until the 13th over just to witness the first six of their innings—a desperate pull over mid-wicket by Arshad Khan off Krunal Pandya. It was a glaring statistic that underlined a thoroughly dominant bowling performance, setting the stage for a night that ultimately belonged entirely to RCB and Virat Kohli.
ADVERTISEMENT
