Ahmedabad: History was rewritten at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) to clinch their second consecutive Indian Premier League title . Chasing a modest target of 156 runs, the defending champions got home with remarkable ease, proving why they were the most dominant side of the season .
A Record-Breaking Chase
RCB completed the chase in record time. Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer scripted the fastest fifty in IPL final history, reaching the team 50-run mark in just 3.3 overs .
The defining moment of the chase came when Kohli launched a brutal attack on Kagiso Rabada, smashing him for 4,4,6,4 in a single over . The batting superstar scored 23 runs off just eight deliveries, while Iyer contributed 26 off 13 balls, effectively ending the contest within the powerplay itself .
Bowlers Set Up the Victory
Earlier, RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first . The decision paid immediate dividends as RCB’s pace attack dismantled Gujarat’s top order.
- Josh Hazlewood removed captain Shubman Gill for 10
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Sai Sudharsan for 12 in the very next over
- Rasikh Salam emerged as the standout performer, returning impressive figures of 3 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs
Only Washington Sundar offered resistance, carrying his bat for an unbeaten 50 off 37 deliveries to help Gujarat post 155/8 .
Captain’s Words: “We Stayed in the Present”
Speaking after the match, captain Rajat Patidar dedicated the win to the team’s disciplined approach. Refusing to dwell on the 2025 triumph, Patidar had emphasized before the game, “You cannot keep talking about what happened in 2025. We have to stay in the present and do whatever we can to win the title this year” .
With this victory, RCB became only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, joining the elite company of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians .
RCB’s Dominant Road to the Final
RCB entered the final as the most consistent side of IPL 2026, finishing at the top of the league table with 9 wins from 14 matches . They had previously thrashed the Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1, with Patidar smashing 93 off just 33 balls .
For Virat Kohli, who spent nearly two decades chasing the title before 2025, this back-to-back triumph marks a fairytale end to a legendary IPL career with the franchise
