RCB Champions Again! Virat Kohli’s 25-ball fifty smashes GT to secure back-to-back IPL titles

RCB has done it; the defending champions have completed a double, winning back-to-back IPL titles. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have defeated the Gujarat Titans by five wickets to win the 2026 edition on Sunday (May 31) in Ahmedabad. RCB icon Virat Kohli smashed his quickest-ever IPL fifty, as they chased a moderate 156 with two overs to spare. With this win, RCB has become the fourth IPL team after CSK, MI and KKR to win more than one title, and third after CSK and MI to do it successively.

WATCH RCB's Winning Moment -

RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first in the season’s final. GT openers and Orange Cap contenders, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, failed on the biggest day, with the two departing early inside the Powerplay. Veteran Jos Buttler tried playing a helping hand but was outfoxed by Krunal Pandya, who dismissed him on 19. Washington Sundar was perhaps GT’s best batter on the day, showing composure and scoring on bad balls, something all remaining batters failed to do.

Seamer Arshad Khan tried increasing the scoring rate but fell prey to a bouncer from Josh Hazlewood, who had earlier removed Gill on just 10 with his second ball of this final. Rasikh Salam bowled brilliantly, picking three wickets, while Hazlewood and IPL icon Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with two each. Meanwhile, Washington’s lone hand helped GT post a fighting first-inning total of 155 for eight in 20 overs.

Virat's magic brings RCB gold

RCB openers, Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, broke GT’s back with a 62-run stand for the first wicket inside the fifth over. The two clobbered nine fours and three sixes between them, including hitting 37 off Kagiso Rabada’s first two overs. While Iyer struggled after a blow to his knee off Mohammed Siraj’s ripper in the first over, Kohli milked fours for fun, bringing the required runs under 100.

Rabada returned to remove Devdutt Padikkal on just one, with Arshad completing a tight catch at the third man. Rashid Khan then turned the game on its head with two wickets in his first over, including those of Patidar and Krunal Pandya.

Despite GT crawling its way back into the final, Kohli completed his quickest IPL fifty in 25 balls.

Overs later, Kohli survived a dismissal, with replays showing the ball touched the ground after Gill caught him at mid off. That, however, was the moment he and millions of his and RCB fans realised their dream of winning back-to-back IPL titles, and he did that in style.

Kohli sealed the moment and a piece of history with an overhead six off Arshad Khan to win the match and IPL 2026 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.