Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their title against the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 5 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final. Thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75-run knock, which steered RCB to lift the IPL trophy for the second consecutive time.

After restricting the Titans to 155/8 in 20 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Royal Challengers chased down the target conveniently, riding on Kohli’s fabulous knock, which turned the final into a one-sided contest.

With back-to-back wins, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar joined the elite list of successful IPL captains like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma who have defended the IPL trophy.

Let’s take a look at the RCB’s historic achievement in the IPL 2026 final as well as the award winners and prize money.

Winning The Toss and Bowling Second: Fortune Tilted Towards RCB Skipper

Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first after winning the toss, which was indeed the first step for RCB to claim a victory. This was because the IPL 2026 final was played on pitch number 06 (a mix of red and black soil), where the first batting team struggled in recent times to accumulate high totals.

As the dew factor plays a heavy role during summers in the Northern Hemisphere, the chasing teams gain a huge advantage, particularly at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Washington Sundar’s Fifty Ineffective Against RCB Bowling Attack

Except for Washington Sundar, the Gujarat Titans’ top, middle, and lower order failed to make an impact.

Sundar’s unbeaten 37-ball fifty (including 5 fours) revived his team from a subpar start, but he managed to steer his team to the modest total.

A charged bowling attack of RCB tamed the powerful batting line-up of the Titans. It includes the core contributions of Rasikh Salam Dar (3/27 in 4 overs), Josh Hazlewood (2/37 in 4 overs), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29 in 4 overs), and Krunal Pandya (1/23 in 4 overs). 

Chase Master Kohli Played a Crucial Knock in the IPL 2026 Final

RCB openers Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli gave a dominating start in the powerplay overs, having scored 70/1 in 6 overs.

Iyer, who scored a brisk 32 runs off 16 balls (including 4 fours and 2 sixes), departed after suffering an ankle strain.

Despite wickets falling at the other end, Kohli maintained his composure and scored his fastest-ever IPL fifty in just 25 balls. However, the RCB’s run machine too struggled at one stage while running between the wickets. This was the rare instance of Virat calling out the physios multiple times during a match.

Even after a leg injury, the 37-year-old refused to return and showed his intent to steer his team to the winning target.

Finally, Kohli struck the winning runs in style, smashing a six and scoring an unbeaten 75-run knock off 42 balls (including 9 fours and 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 178.57.

Kohli vs Gill: A Controversial Catch in IPL 2026 Final Match

While RCB was well set in the run chase, Shubman Gill’s catch to dismiss Virat Kohli turned out to be controversial. At 15.6 overs, the veteran batter’s mistimed shot prompted Gill to take a diving catch.

As GT celebrated, Kohli seemed unconvincing and asked for a review by the third umpire. The RCB opener walked towards Gill and asked if the catch was taken cleanly.

After the third umpire reviewed the catch at multiple angles, the decision was overturned as the ball had slightly touched the ground.

Later, Kohli was spotted having a heated exchange of words with Gill, and this decision triggered huge criticism among fans on social media. 

IPL 2026 Final Match Award Winners List and Prize Money

IPL 2026 Season Award Winners and Prize Money Overall List