Back-to-back glory: RCB silence Ahmedabad, beat GT to defend IPL crown and clinch 2026 title

Another home team, another final and the visiting team silenced the Ahmedabad crowd. Cricket fans have seen this image in the 2023 Cricket World Cup. What they had never seen or what habits they don’t have is watching the Royal Challengers Bengaluru take the IPL trophy for consecutive years. After claiming the 2025 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed the IPL trophy for the second time in 2026. With that, Rajat Patidar became the third IPL captain after legends like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to defend the IPL trophy.

RCB, on Sunday evening, sealed all the departments and silenced the Ahmedabad crowd, the home support of the Gujarat Titans. Winning the toss, Rajat Patidar chose to chase, and then the RCB bowlers brought damage to the Gujarat batting line-up.

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Hazlewood struck early by dismissing Shubman Gill, handing GT their first major blow at home. The hosts never recovered as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. On a challenging surface, GT failed to build any substantial partnerships, with their highest stand worth just 29 runs between Jos Buttler and Sindhu. With the help of those small pieces, GT posted a proud 155 on the board.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Sai Sudharsan and Jason Holder, while Rasikh Dar Salam’s fiery spell fetched three wickets, leaving GT exposed and outplayed. For Gujarat, only Washington Sundar stood tall, scoring 50 runs in 37 balls.

Chase master Kohli at work

When the whole IPL history of 18 years was telling low-scoring games had been defended in finals, Virat Kohli swept all of it out. This is his consecutive fourth season, where he smashed more than 600 runs. The wait for 18 years ended last year for him. This year, he claimed all the way. When wickets were falling from the other end, the chase master stood tall. He completed his fastest fifty of IPL in just 25 balls and ensured RCB’s second IPL victory, scoring 75 of 42 balls.

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As the curtains came down on IPL 2026, RCB’s triumph signalled the arrival of a new era. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have shown that they are no longer a team chasing success, they are a team built to sustain it. A complete team performance throughout the season transformed their fortunes, with every department contributing when it mattered most. No longer defined solely by Virat Kohli’s brilliance, RCB have evolved into a well-rounded champion side. Their identity has changed, their mindset has changed, and most importantly, the perception around them has changed. Today, fans don’t just see RCB as a popular franchise where Virat Kohli plays they see them as serial winners.