Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Led by an unbeaten 75 from Virat Kohli, RCB chased down a target of 156 with confidence to secure their second consecutive championship and cement their place among the league’s most successful franchises.

The victory marked RCB’s second IPL title after ending their long wait for a maiden crown in 2025. With the triumph, Bengaluru became only the fourth team in IPL history to win multiple championships, joining Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. They also became just the third franchise, after Chennai and Mumbai, to successfully defend an IPL title by winning back-to-back seasons.

Chasing 156, Kohli anchored the innings from the start and delivered a composed yet aggressive knock under pressure. The veteran batter reached his half-century in just 25 deliveries, registering the fastest IPL fifty of his career. Despite Gujarat Titans claiming wickets at regular intervals through Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan and Arshad Khan, Kohli ensured RCB remained firmly in control of the chase.

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Kohli battled cramps during the latter stages of his innings but remained unbeaten throughout. With only one run required for victory, he finished the match in emphatic fashion by dispatching Arshad Khan over long-on for a six, triggering celebrations among players and supporters. His innings proved decisive in guiding Bengaluru across the finish line in the tournament’s biggest match.

Earlier, RCB’s pace attack laid the foundation for the win with a disciplined bowling performance. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed two wickets each, while Rasikh Salam emerged as the standout performer with three wickets. Their collective effort restricted Gujarat Titans to 155 for eight, preventing the opposition from building substantial partnerships and maintaining pressure throughout the innings.

Gujarat’s batting struggled to recover after the early dismissals of captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, the team’s leading run-scorers of the season. The 2022 champions found it difficult to generate momentum against Bengaluru’s disciplined attack. A fighting half-century from Washington Sundar, who scored 50 off 37 balls, provided some resistance and helped Gujarat cross the 150-run mark, but the total ultimately proved insufficient against Kohli’s match-winning masterclass.

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