Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) etched their name into the annals of IPL history by successfully defending their title with a cool and composed five-wicket win against Gujarat (GT) in Ahmedabad for the IPL 2026 championship on Sunday afternoon. Their maiden championship came in 2025 following an 18-year wait, suggesting they will only be the third franchise to defend the IPL crown.
RCB’s bowlers set the tone early, capitalizing on an uneven pitch to restrict GT to only 155 runs in 18 overs and then chased down GT’s total of 161 runs in style thanks to an incredible innings from Virat Kohli, who scored an impressive 75*.
RCB Fast Bowlers Set the Tone
After winning the toss, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar made the wise decision to bowl first and immediately got it right as Josh Hazlewood dismissed Gil with two brilliant deliveries to begin the GT innings, maintaining his outstanding record of taking wickets in international white-ball finals.
The two sensational GT openers, Gill and Sai Sudharsan, both found it difficult to successfully negotiate RCB’s disciplined and accurate pace attack early, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar quickly dispatching Sai Sudharsan with an extremely clever short ball trap used to place Gujarat under early pressure.
When Gujarat made alterations to their batting order such that they moved Nishant Sindhu to No. 3 in order to provide some relief to Jos Buttler from Bhuvneshwar’s magic, the adjustment was, unfortunately for Gujarat, unsuccessful. After losing both opening batters by the conclusion of the power play, which was quite rare for this IPL season.
Krunal and Rasikh Tighten the Grip
The control that RCB had during the middle overs was crucial for their success. Once again, Krunal Pandya showed why he is so valuable in a final by bowling smartly and efficiently to give up only 23 runs in four overs, along with taking the wicket of Jos Buttler. His wide yorker led to a mistake by Buttler, which resulted in Jitesh Sharma successfully performing a sharp stumping.
At the other end of the field, Rasikh Salam continued his breakout IPL year with a great performance, taking 3 wickets for only 27 runs. He used the sticky wicket very effectively by bowling great lengths. As a result, Gujarat were not able to build any scoring momentum, and Salam ended this match with 19 wickets on the year.
Gujarat really struggled for a long time in this match, going 37 legal deliveries without hitting a boundary. While Washington Sundar played well at the end of the innings by scoring an unbeaten 50 runs off of 37 balls, Gujarat was never able to break free from the RCB bowling attack.
At the end of the innings, Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar, and Salam all returned to bowl very well to prevent Gujarat from getting a late acceleration in their scoring. Bhuvneshwar had two wickets and Salam took the wickets of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan to limit Gujarat to a below-par total of 155 runs off of eight wickets.
Kohli’s Aggression Lights Up the Chase
RCB went after 156 runs on an unpredictable pitch. The attacking intent was evident from the beginning. Venkatesh Iyer gave the innings a great start with a quick-fire 32 off just 16 balls but due to an injury to his knee, he did not complete his innings before being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. That brought Virat Kohli to the crease, who produced one of his best performances in the playoffs by scoring his quickest IPL 50 and highest playoff score. Kohli was aggressive against Kagiso Rabada, hitting boundaries that shifted the momentum heavily in RCB’s favor.
Although there was some resistance to RCB’s chase from Rashid Khan and Rabada, the team never lost control of the chase. Kohli, although he had a minor injury scare, brought home the victory by hitting a 4 and a 6 to complete the chase in the 18th over.
Champions Again
Once a franchise synonymous with heartbreak, the franchise’s title defense shows that they have undergone a significant change. With contributions coming from team performances by Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Salam, and Kohli, RCB has transformed from a team that has never been able to win an IPL championship into a championship team, potentially becoming the newest dynasty in the IPL.
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