Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back-to-back IPL champions. RCB beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the IPL 2026 Final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May, chasing down 156 with 12 balls to spare. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 off 42 — his fastest IPL fifty in 25 balls — was the match-winning knock, capped by a six over long-on off Arshad Khan to seal the title. RCB’s bowlers had already set the platform, restricting GT to 155/8 in 20 overs with disciplined short-ball execution. Captain Rajat Patidar lifts the trophy in his first season as RCB captain; for Kohli, it is a second IPL title in successive seasons. Here are the full IPL 2026 Final highlights, scorecard, key moments and what this back-to-back championship means.
Quick Result — IPL 2026 Final
RCB beat GT by 5 wickets in the IPL 2026 Final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. GT: 155/8 (20 ov). RCB: 161/5 (18 ov) — won with 12 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (75* off 42, 25-ball fifty). This is RCB’s 2nd IPL title in successive seasons — back-to-back champions after the 2025 Final win against Punjab Kings, joining CSK (2010-11) and MI (2019-20) as the only sides to defend the trophy. Captain Rajat Patidar lifts his first IPL trophy; Kohli wins his second.
हिन्दी: रॉयल चैलेंजर्स बैंगलोर ने आईपीएल 2026 का फ़ाइनल जीत लिया है। RCB ने GT को 5 विकेट से हराकर लगातार दूसरी बार आईपीएल खिताब अपने नाम किया। GT 155/8, RCB 161/5 (18 ओवर)। प्लेयर ऑफ़ द मैच: विराट कोहली (नाबाद 75)।
RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final — Match Summary
The IPL 2026 Final at Narendra Modi Stadium followed a familiar Motera template — the side that controlled the middle overs controlled the trophy. Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat, reasoning that runs on the board in a Final could prove vital. But RCB’s bowlers had other plans. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Rasikh Salam Dar (3/27) led a relentless short-ball attack that dismissed Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder and Rashid Khan all to deliveries banged into the pitch. Only Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 50 off 37 gave GT a defendable total at 155/8. The Titans’ phase splits told the story — 45/2 in the powerplay, 60/3 across the middle, and a late surge of 50/3 in the last five.
RCB’s chase was set up by an explosive powerplay. Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16, despite a knee injury early in the innings) and Kohli took the attack to Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj from ball one. RCB reached 50 in just 3.3 overs — the fastest team fifty in an IPL Final, surpassing the 4-over mark CSK set at this same venue in 2023. By the end of the powerplay RCB were 70/2, and although Rashid Khan struck twice in the 9th over to remove Patidar (15) and Krunal Pandya (1), Kohli’s calm anchoring with Tim David (24 off 17) and then Jitesh Sharma (11* off 14) ensured the chase never slipped. Kohli reached his fifty in 25 balls — his fastest IPL fifty ever — and sealed it with a back-foot six over long-on in the 18th over.
IPL 2026 Final Scorecard — RCB vs GT
The full innings breakdown from Narendra Modi Stadium on 31 May 2026:
| Team / Player | Runs / Figures | Balls / Overs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat Titans — 155/8 (20) | Asked to bat first | ||
| Washington Sundar | 50* | 37 | Top scorer for GT |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) | 2/29 | 4 ov | Ends season with 28 wkts |
| Rasikh Salam Dar (RCB) | 3/27 | 4 ov | Match-leading wickets |
| Royal Challengers — 161/5 (18) | Won with 12 balls to spare | ||
| Virat Kohli | 75* | 42 | 25-ball fifty, hit winning six |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 32 | 16 | 4×4, 2×6 in powerplay |
| Tim David | 24 | 17 | 3×4, 1×6 |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | 15 | 13 | c Rabada b Rashid |
| Jitesh Sharma | 11* | 14 | Stayed with Kohli |
| Rashid Khan (GT) | 2/25 | 4 ov | Removed Patidar & Krunal in one over |
| Kagiso Rabada (GT) | 1/44 | 3 ov | Purple Cap winner — 29 wkts |
Key Moments — How RCB Won the IPL 2026 Final
Four moments decided RCB’s back-to-back IPL title:
- The short-ball plan to GT in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood hit hard lengths from over one and never let GT settle. Six of GT’s eight wickets fell to short-pitched balls — a clear pre-match plan executed perfectly.
- Kohli vs Rabada in the powerplay. Rabada’s first two overs went for 18 and 19. Kohli took 19 off the 4th over alone (4, 4, 6, 4, 1) — extending his ridiculous 2026 head-to-head against Rabada to 82 runs off 36 balls, the most by any batter against any bowler in a single IPL edition.
- Rashid’s twin strike in the 9th over. When Rashid removed Patidar and Krunal Pandya in the same over, GT had a window. But Kohli simply refused to let it close — calling for water, batting through cramps, and continuing to find boundaries.
- Kohli’s 25-ball fifty and the winning six. A pulled four off Arshad in the 11th over brought up his fastest IPL fifty (previous best: 26 balls vs RR/DC in 2018). Seven overs later, he sealed it with a six over long-on. Fittingly, RCB’s poster boy finished the title chase.
📊 What the Numbers Say
The pitch played close to its IPL 2026 average of 181, but RCB’s short-ball discipline restricted GT to 155 — the lowest first-innings total ever defended would have needed to drop below 159 (RR vs LSG, Lucknow). GT became only the fifth side to lose an IPL Final defending below 160, joining four previous instances (MI thrice in 2013/17/19, Deccan Chargers 2009). With this win, RCB’s final position in the IPL 2026 points table is sealed as champions, and the season ends with Kagiso Rabada taking the Purple Cap (29 wickets) ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (28).
Player of the Match — Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 75 off 42 balls — the highest score of the Final and the innings that won the title. Kohli’s knock included his fastest IPL fifty (25 balls), joint fourth-fastest in any IPL Final, and he finished the chase with a six over long-on. He played through cramps that began around the 10th over, calling for the physio multiple times but refusing to leave the middle. For a player who has been at RCB since IPL 2008, this is a second IPL trophy in successive seasons and arguably the most personally significant innings of his T20 career.
Back-to-back IPL titles changes how we talk about this RCB side. The 2025 win could be framed as 17 years of pain finally over; the 2026 title turns RCB from “the team that finally won” into a genuine modern dynasty alongside CSK 2010-11 and MI 2019-20. Defending the title is harder than winning it the first time — and RCB navigated a brutal playoff stretch that included a 92-run Qualifier 1 win over the same Gujarat Titans, then matched it in the Final with a complete bowling performance and a controlled chase.
For Virat Kohli at 37, finishing a Final unbeaten with his fastest IPL fifty is the kind of innings he’d have circled in his head for years. The cramps, the water breaks, the on-field exchange with Sai Sudharsan, and then a six to win it — script-perfect. Rajat Patidar deserves enormous credit too: his first season as captain ends with a trophy, an achievement that puts him in conversation with the league’s best captaincy debuts. Gujarat Titans lose their second Final after 2023, but with a young core and Rashid Khan still bowling spells like that 9th over, they’ll be back in this conversation for IPL 2027.
Records Broken in the IPL 2026 Final
- Fastest team 50 in IPL Final history — RCB reached 50 in 3.3 overs, beating CSK’s 4-over mark set at this same Narendra Modi Stadium in 2023.
- Kohli’s fastest IPL fifty — 25 balls in the Final, beating his previous best of 26 balls (twice in 2018).
- Joint 4th-fastest IPL Final fifty — Kohli’s 25-ball fifty equals Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle; only Raina, Warner and Venkatesh Iyer (all 24 balls) have been faster in a Final.
- Kohli vs Rabada in IPL 2026 — 82 runs off 36 balls is now the most by any batter against any bowler in a single IPL edition.
- Back-to-back IPL champions — RCB join CSK (2010-11) and MI (2019-20) as the only sides to defend an IPL title.
- Purple Cap — Kagiso Rabada (GT) ended the tournament with 29 wickets, the season’s leading bowler.
IPL 2026 Final FAQs
Who won the IPL 2026 Final?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the IPL 2026 Final, beating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026. GT scored 155/8 in 20 overs; RCB chased 156 in 18 overs to win with 12 balls to spare.
Is this RCB’s first IPL title?
No — this is RCB’s second IPL title and second consecutive championship. RCB won their first IPL trophy in 2025, beating Punjab Kings by 6 runs in the Final. The 2026 title makes RCB back-to-back IPL champions, joining CSK (2010-11) and MI (2019-20) as the only franchises to successfully defend the IPL trophy.
Who was Player of the Match in the IPL 2026 Final?
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 75 off 42 balls — the match-winning innings. Kohli reached his fifty in 25 balls, his fastest IPL fifty, and hit the winning six off Arshad Khan in the 18th over to seal RCB’s second IPL title.
What was the IPL 2026 Final scorecard?
Gujarat Titans 155/8 in 20 overs (Washington Sundar 50*, Rasikh Salam Dar 3/27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/29). Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75* off 42, Venkatesh Iyer 32 off 16; Rashid Khan 2/25). RCB won by 5 wickets.
How many IPL titles do RCB have now?
RCB now have 2 IPL titles — won in IPL 2025 (vs Punjab Kings) and IPL 2026 (vs Gujarat Titans). RCB are back-to-back IPL champions and join CSK (2010-11) and MI (2019-20) as the only sides in IPL history to successfully defend the trophy.
Bottom Line — RCB Are Back-to-Back IPL Champions
RCB have won the IPL 2026 Final by 5 wickets, beating Gujarat Titans 155/8 with 161/5 in 18 overs to become only the third franchise to win successive IPL titles. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 off 42 with the fastest IPL fifty of his career sealed the chase; Rajat Patidar lifts the trophy in his first season as captain; and the Narendra Modi Stadium has now staged two RCB Final wins in succession after the 2025 victory over Punjab Kings. For the full season story see our IPL 2026 Season Review, the all-time list of IPL Final winners by season, and the deep stats on Virat Kohli’s IPL career.
