Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) once again stood at the summit of the IPL after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. As the winning six disappeared into the night sky, celebrations erupted across the ground. Players rushed onto the field, fans roared in delight, and Virat Kohli stood at the centre of it all after sealing the victory in style with a six off Arshad Khan.
The triumph marked RCB’s second consecutive IPL title and provided another memorable chapter in Kohli’s long association with the franchise. Thousands of supporters dressed in red had travelled from cities including Mumbai, Jodhpur, Bengaluru and several other parts of the country to witness the occasion. Their faith was rewarded as RCB successfully defended the championship they had won the previous season.
Chasing a target of 155, RCB remained largely in control despite a few tense moments. Kohli led the pursuit brilliantly, ensuring the required rate never became a concern. The atmosphere reached another level when he completed his half-century, with more than 90,000 spectators celebrating the milestone amid fireworks and deafening chants around the stadium.
Known for his relentless desire to compete, Virat Kohli played with remarkable intent from the beginning. Rather than adopting a cautious approach, he attacked premier bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj early in the innings, racing to 35 runs from just 12 balls. Although he briefly struggled with cramps and required a quick medical check during the chase, he quickly regained momentum and continued to dominate.
The veteran batter finished unbeaten on 75 from 42 deliveries, his highest score in an IPL final. It was also the first time he had remained not out in five IPL finals, underlining the significance of the knock on one of the biggest stages in franchise cricket.
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While Virat Kohli starred with the bat, RCB’s bowlers laid the foundation for victory. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dhar and Josh Hazlewood executed a disciplined short-ball strategy that consistently troubled Gujarat’s batting line-up. Their approach resulted in the dismissals of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder and Rashid Khan.
Rasikh Salam Dhar provided crucial breakthroughs by removing Nishant Sindhu and Rahul Tewatia, while Krunal Pandya controlled the middle overs and prevented Gujarat from building any momentum. The pressure created by the bowlers exposed several weaknesses in GT’s batting order on the biggest night of the season.
The Titans’ innings never fully recovered after captain Shubman Gill was dismissed by Rajat Patidar. Sai Sudharsan followed soon after, and a series of tactical decisions, including promoting Nishant Sindhu ahead of Jos Buttler and sending Arshad Khan at No. 6, failed to produce the desired results. Jos Buttler eventually arrived at No. 4 but by then RCB had already tightened their grip on the contest.
Amid the collapse, Washington Sundar stood firm with a fighting half-century and guided GT to 155. Interestingly, it was the same total RCB had successfully chased when the two teams met at the same venue during the league stage.
This time, however, the stakes were far greater. And once again, Virat Kohli ensured the outcome remained unchanged as RCB completed another championship-winning campaign in style.
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