Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, successfully defending their title.
Chasing 156, RCB reached 161/5 in 18 overs to secure their second IPL trophy. The victory also took their overall franchise title count to four, including two Women’s Premier League crowns.
Kohli led the chase with a 42-ball knock, hitting nine fours and three sixes. He added 62 runs for the opening wicket with Venkatesh Iyer, who scored a brisk 32 off 16 balls.
RCB raced to 50 in just 3.4 overs before Gujarat Titans fought back. Mohammed Siraj removed Iyer, while Kagiso Rabada dismissed Devdutt Padikkal for one. Rashid Khan then struck twice in the ninth over, dismissing skipper Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya for one.
Kohli, however, held his ground and brought up his fastest IPL half-century off 25 balls. Despite Tim David’s dismissal for 24, the star batter guided RCB home with two overs to spare.
Earlier, Gujarat Titans were restricted to 155/8 after being asked to bat first. Washington Sundar provided the only sustained resistance with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, while Nishant Sindhu scored 20.
RCB’s bowlers struck at regular intervals, with Rasikh Salam Dar returning figures of 3/27. Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed 2/29, while Josh Hazlewood took 2/37.
Gujarat Titans lost wickets throughout the innings and struggled to build momentum despite Sundar’s late effort.
Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 155/8 in 20 overs (Washington Sundar 50*, Nishant Sindhu 20; Rasikh Salam Dar 3/27) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75*, Venkatesh Iyer 32; Rashid Khan 2/25).
