IPL 2026 — RCB Win Back to Back Titles! Complete Season Review
# IPL 2026 — RCB Win Back to Back Titles! Complete Season Review
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have done it again!
In one of the most memorable IPL seasons in history
RCB have successfully defended their title by
defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the
IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in
Ahmedabad on May 31, 2026.
With this victory RCB became only the third franchise
in IPL history to successfully defend their title
after Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and
Mumbai Indians (2019 and 2020).
The hero of the final was none other than the
legendary Virat Kohli who scored an unbeaten 75
off just 42 balls to guide RCB to victory with
two overs to spare — his fastest ever IPL fifty
and highest playoff score.
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## IPL 2026 Final — RCB vs GT Match Summary
**Date:** May 31, 2026
**Venue:** Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
**Result:** RCB won by 5 wickets
**Player of the Match:** Virat Kohli (75* off 42 balls)
### Gujarat Titans Innings — 155/8
RCB won the toss and opted to field first — a
decision that paid immediate dividends. The RCB
seamers were exceptional right from the start
as GT’s batting lineup crumbled under pressure.
Washington Sundar fought a lone battle for GT
scoring a mature unbeaten 50 to take his team
past the 150 mark. Rasikh Salam was the pick
of the RCB bowlers picking up 3 wickets for
27 runs while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh
Hazlewood took 2 wickets each.
**GT Scorecard:**
– Washington Sundar: 50* (not out)
– Arshad Khan: 15 off 6 balls
– Sai Sudharsan: Early wicket (DRS drama)
**RCB Bowlers:**
– Rasikh Salam: 3/27
– Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 2/29
– Josh Hazlewood: 2/37
### RCB Chase — 161/5
Despite losing Devdutt Padikkal and Venkatesh
Iyer early RCB never looked in trouble once
Virat Kohli got going. Kohli was in imperious
form from the very first ball taking Kagiso
Rabada for 37 runs in his first two overs
alongside Venkatesh Iyer.
Kohli eventually finished on an unbeaten 75
off 42 balls hitting nine fours and three
sixes as RCB reached their target of 156
in just 18 overs.
**RCB Scorecard:**
– Virat Kohli: 75* off 42 balls (9 fours, 3 sixes)
– Venkatesh Iyer: 32 off 16 balls
– Devdutt Padikkal: Early dismissal
—
## IPL 2026 Season Highlights
### The 19th Edition
IPL 2026 was the 19th edition of the world’s
biggest T20 league. The season kicked off on
March 28, 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium
in Bengaluru with defending champions RCB
hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A total of 10 teams competed in 74 matches
across 10 venues — Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati,
Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi,
Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
### Virat Kohli Makes History
The IPL 2026 season will be remembered for
Virat Kohli’s incredible performances. Early
in the season Kohli became the first batter
in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in run chases
— a remarkable achievement that highlights his
consistency across nearly two decades of IPL cricket.
### Sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The biggest discovery of IPL 2026 was undoubtedly
15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who took the
tournament by storm. Playing for Rajasthan Royals
the teenage sensation scored a blistering 39 off
just 14 balls in a rain-reduced match against
Mumbai Indians adding 80 runs in just 5 overs
alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Sooryavanshi became a household name overnight
and is being hailed as the future of Indian cricket.
### High Scoring Season
IPL 2026 was one of the highest scoring editions
in the tournament’s history with teams regularly
posting totals of 200 and above. In the second
match of the tournament Kolkata Knight Riders
posted a massive 220/4 only to lose to a
brilliant Mumbai Indians batting display
featuring Rohit Sharma (78) and Ryan Rickelton (81).
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## IPL 2026 — Road to the Final
### Qualifiers
**Qualifier 1: RCB vs GT**
RCB topped the league stage and defeated GT
in Qualifier 1 to book their place in the final.
**Qualifier 2: GT vs Rajasthan Royals**
GT bounced back brilliantly defeating Rajasthan
Royals in Qualifier 2 to reach the final for
a rematch with RCB.
—
## IPL 2026 — Key Records and Milestones
IPL 2026 — RCB Win Back to Back Titles! Complete Season Review
IPL 2026, IPL 2026 winner, RCB IPL 2026, IPL 2026 final results
