Kohli Stars As RCB Beat Gujarat Titans By Five Wickets in IPL 2026 Finals
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their Indian Premier League (IPL) title and claimed their second IPL championship after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The victory marked a remarkable achievement for the franchise, which had waited 17 years for its first IPL trophy before now winning back-to-back titles.
Virat Kohli once again delivered on the biggest stage, remaining unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls with nine fours and three sixes as RCB chased down a target of 156 with two overs to spare. His match-winning knock guided Bengaluru through a tense chase after Gujarat briefly fought back with regular wickets in the middle overs.
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Chasing 156, RCB made an explosive start. Venkatesh Iyer attacked from the outset, smashing Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj for boundaries as Bengaluru raced to 50 in just 3.4 overs. The opening partnership between Iyer and Kohli produced 62 runs before Siraj dismissed Iyer for a quickfire 32 off 16 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes.
GT struck again shortly afterward when Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal for just one run, leaving RCB at 63/2. Kohli continued to dominate and helped the defending champions finish the powerplay strongly at 70/2.
Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar added valuable runs before Rashid Khan brought Gujarat back into the contest. The Afghan spinner removed Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya for one in the same over, reducing RCB to 91/4. Gujarat’s hopes grew further when RCB slipped to 132/5 after Tim David departed for 24 from 17 balls following a useful 43-run partnership with Kohli.
However, Kohli remained calm under pressure and reached his half-century in just 25 balls, the fastest IPL fifty of his career. He was joined by Jitesh Sharma, and the pair completed the chase comfortably in the 18th over to seal another memorable title triumph for Bengaluru.
Earlier, after winning the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar elected to bowl first and his decision paid immediate dividends. The Bengaluru pace attack maintained relentless pressure, reducing Gujarat to 26/2 inside four overs.
Josh Hazlewood dismissed Gujarat captain Shubman Gill for 10, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Sai Sudharsan for 12. By the end of the powerplay, GT were struggling at 45/2.
The introduction of spin further tightened the grip. Rasikh Dar Salam dismissed Nishant Sindhu for 20, while Krunal Pandya bowled economically and later removed Jos Buttler, who scored 19 from 23 balls. Gujarat found it difficult to score freely as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.
Washington Sundar fought a lone battle for the Titans. He remained unbeaten on 50 from 37 deliveries, striking five boundaries. Arshad Khan briefly provided momentum with a 15-run cameo from just six balls, but Hazlewood quickly ended his stay at the crease.
Rahul Tewatia managed only seven runs before becoming Rasikh’s second victim, while Jason Holder contributed seven before Bhuvneshwar dismissed him in the penultimate over. Rashid Khan hit a six in the final over but was dismissed on the very next ball as Rasikh completed his three-wicket haul.
Despite Sundar reaching a well-deserved half-century, Gujarat could only post 155/8 in their allotted 20 overs.
RCB’s bowling unit produced a disciplined performance throughout the innings. Rasikh Dar Salam was the standout performer with figures of 3/27, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed 2/29 and Josh Hazlewood picked up 2/37. Krunal Pandya also chipped in with one wicket and maintained pressure during the middle overs.
Brief Scores:
- GT: 155/8: (Washington Sundar 50, Nishant Sindhu 20, Rasikh Salam 3/27)
- RCB: 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75, Venkatesh Iyer 32, Rashid Khan 2/25)
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