Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) outclassed Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final of IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. After being invited to bat first, Gujarat Titans managed only 155/8 in their 20 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29 in 4 overs) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37 in 4 overs) provided early breakthroughs for RCB. GT kept losing wickets at regular intervals and struggled to find boundaries. Washington Sundar played a hard-fought innings of 50 off 37 balls, helping Gujarat Titans cross the 150-run mark.
Rasikh Salam (3/27 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for RCB. He maintained tight lines and did not allow the batters to score freely. In reply, Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli gave RCB a flying start, adding 62 runs for the first wicket in just 4.3 overs. RCB lost a few wickets over the next five overs, but Kohli held one end firmly. He finished the match in style with a boundary and a six. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 75 runs. RCB successfully retained the IPL 2026 trophy.
Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Strike Early
Josh Hazlewood once again showed why he is considered a big-match player. The Australian quick, who remains unbeaten in T20 and ODI finals, gave RCB the perfect start by dismissing GT captain Shubman Gill in his opening over.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan entered the final as one of the most successful opening pairs in IPL history, with both batters scoring over 700 runs during the season. However, they faced an RCB attack that had troubled them before.
Gill survived an early challenge from Bhuvneshwar Kumar but could not escape Hazlewood. Attempting his trademark pull shot, he top-edged the ball and departed early.
GT then promoted Nishant Sindhu to No. 3 in an attempt to shield Jos Buttler from Bhuvneshwar. The plan failed quickly. Bhuvneshwar dismissed Sudharsan in his second over after first troubling him with a bouncer and then forcing a mistimed shot.
With Sudharsan's wicket, GT lost both their star batters inside the powerplay. It was only the fourth time this season that both had fallen so early, and remarkably, three of those occasions came against RCB.
Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was watching from the stands in Ahmedabad, was assured of finishing as the Orange Cap winner.
RCB Tighten the Grip in the Middle Overs
RCB continued to squeeze the scoring rate during the middle overs. Krunal Pandya recognised that the pitch offered some grip and decided against using too many variations. Instead, he focused on bowling consistent lengths. The tactic worked perfectly. His first three overs went without conceding a single boundary.
At the other end, Rasikh Salam also bowled with excellent control. He repeatedly hit good lengths and allowed the pitch to do the work. One such delivery resulted in Nishant Sindhu being caught at long-on.
The pressure kept mounting on GT. At one stage, they went 37 consecutive legal deliveries without hitting a boundary.
Sensing Buttler's frustration, Krunal delivered a wide yorker when the England batter advanced down the pitch. Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma completed a brilliant stumping to remove one of GT's biggest hopes.
GT then promoted Arshad Khan, who finally broke the shackles by hitting a six. It came on the fourth ball of the 13th over and was among the latest first sixes recorded in an IPL final.
RCB Pacers Finish the Job
The pressure never eased even during the death overs. Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar and Rasikh Salam kept attacking and refused to offer easy scoring opportunities. Every time GT attempted to build momentum, an RCB bowler struck.
Hazlewood removed Arshad Khan, while Bhuvneshwar picked up Jason Holder to move his season tally to 28 wickets. Rasikh then dismissed Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan to complete an outstanding season in which he claimed 19 wickets.
Jacob Duffy was the only RCB bowler without a wicket, although he nearly dismissed Washington Sundar. After receiving that lifeline, Sundar fought hard and scored a valuable 50 from 37 balls.
Despite Sundar's resistance, GT could only reach 155, a total that looked below par.
Venkatesh Iyer Provides a Flying Start
RCB began the chase aggressively. Venkatesh Iyer set the tone from the outset. An injury to his knee in the opening over left him with little option but to attack. He targeted Kagiso Rabada immediately and played several powerful shots.
By the time Mohammed Siraj dismissed him for a rapid 32 from just 16 balls, RCB had already gained significant momentum.
Kohli Produces a Captain's Knock
Virat Kohli then took control of the chase. The veteran batter had enjoyed a remarkable season, scoring 675 runs at a strike rate of 165.84. Among players with more than 600 runs, only Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan scored at a faster rate.
Kohli looked determined from the beginning, especially against his long-time rival Kagiso Rabada. He attacked the South African pacer with confidence, smashing one six and three boundaries in a single over.
As GT bowlers struggled to contain him, Kohli continued to score freely. Although Rabada dismissed Devdutt Padikkal and Rashid Khan later struck twice in his opening over, the required run rate had already dropped below a run a ball.
Kohli reached his fastest IPL half-century and also registered his highest score in a playoff match. His innings effectively put the result beyond GT's reach.
Kohli Finishes the Job
The only concern for RCB during the chase came when Kohli appeared troubled by an injury. However, it did little to slow him down.
With victory within touching distance, Kohli finished the final in emphatic fashion. He struck a boundary and then a six off the last two balls of the 18th over to seal a five-wicket victory with two overs remaining.
RCB's bowlers laid the foundation with a superb all-round effort, and Kohli ensured there would be no late drama. The result completed a memorable title defence and confirmed RCB's status as the team to beat in the IPL.