Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the IPL 2026 Champions! RCB successfully defended their crown, defeating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the Grand Finale at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31, 2026. A masterclass in choking the runs by RCB’s bowling unit laid the foundation, before a vintage, unbeaten half-century from Virat Kohli steered the chase home clinically to trigger wild celebrations.
Rasikh Salam (3/27) and Krunal Pandya (1/23) choked the star-studded GT lineup to a below-par 155, despite a fighting unbeaten fifty from Washington Sundar (50* off 37). In reply, Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16) provided a lightning start, allowing Virat Kohli (75* off 42) to anchor the chase perfectly and finish the game with two overs to spare.
Match Summary
| Details | Info |
| GT Score | 155/8 (20 overs) |
| RCB Score | 161/5 (18 overs) |
| Result | RCB won by 5 wickets (12 balls remaining) |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Date | May 31, 2026 (Night Match) |
| Best Batter (GT) | Washington Sundar – 50* off 37 balls |
| Best Batter (RCB) | Virat Kohli – 75* off 42 balls |
| Best Bowler (RCB) | Rasikh Salam – 3/27 in 4 overs |
| Best Bowler (GT) | Rashid Khan – 2/25 in 4 overs |
| Player of the Match | Virat Kohli |
GT Innings: 155/8 in 20 Overs
Put in to bat under high-octane pressure, the Titans folded early against a flawless RCB bowling display. Bhuvneshwar Kumar set the tone by removing skipper Shubman Gill (10), and Josh Hazlewood dismissed Sai Sudharsan (12) shortly after. GT was choked to 55/3 inside 8 overs.
The middle order crumbled completely as Rasikh Salam bowled a dream spell, picking up 3 wickets with brilliant variations, while Krunal Pandya kept things exceptionally tight with a miserly economy of 5.75. At 115/6, GT looked down and out, but Washington Sundar fought back with a resilient, unbeaten 50 off 37 balls to drag the Titans to a fighting 155.
GT Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
| Washington Sundar | 50* | 37 | 6 / 0 | 135.13 |
| Nishant Sindhu | 20 | 18 | 2 / 0 | 111.11 |
| Jos Buttler | 19 | 23 | 4 / 0 | 82.60 |
RCB Bowling: Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 |
| Rasikh Salam | 4 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-22 (Gill, 2.2), 2-26 (Sudharsan, 3.4), 3-55 (Sindhu, 7.6), 4-73 (Buttler, 12.1), 5-99 (Arshad Khan, 14.1), 6-115 (Tewatia, 16.1), 7-142 (Holder, 18.3), 8-151 (Rashid Khan, 19.2)
RCB Chase: 161/5 in 18 Overs
Chasing a target of 156 for glory, RCB’s Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer came out like a tracer bullet, smashing a quickfire 32 off just 16 balls. Alongside Virat Kohli, Iyer helped RCB dismantle the GT pace attack to race to a massive 62-run opening stand in less than 5 overs.
A sudden middle-order wobble saw Rashid Khan strike twice in quick succession, dismissing Rajat Patidar (15) and cleaning up Krunal Pandya for a duck to trigger panic at 91/4. However, the King of Chases, Virat Kohli, remained unbothered. Kohli smashed a brilliant unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, smoking 9 fours and 3 sixes. He shared an explicit stabilizing stand with Tim David (24) and smoothly guided RCB home in the 18th over to retain the silverware.
RCB Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
| Virat Kohli | 75* | 42 | 9 / 3 | 178.57 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 32 | 16 | 4 / 2 | 200.00 |
| Tim David | 24 | 17 | 3 / 1 | 141.17 |
GT Bowling: Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 |
| Arshad Khan | 4 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 4 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-62 (Iyer, 4.3), 2-63 (Padikkal, 5.1), 3-89 (Patidar, 8.2), 4-91 (Krunal Pandya, 8.5), 5-132 (Tim David, 13.6)
Key Highlights
- Kohli’s Championship Masterclass: Virat Kohli stepped up on the ultimate night, pacing the chase cleanly with a 25-ball fifty to stay unbeaten until the winning runs were hit.
- Rasikh Salam’s Final Heroics: On the biggest stage of his career, Rasikh Salam delivered a game-defining spell of 3/27, removing key middle-order assets to choke the Titans.
- The 70-Run Turbo Powerplay: Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli completely neutralized the target scoreboard pressure by firing 70 runs in the first 6 overs.
- Rashid’s Double Strike Scare: Rashid Khan briefly brought the Ahmedabad crowd to life with a spectacular double-strike over, turning the game into a tight battle at 91/4.
- Impact Sub Perfect Tactics: RCB utilized their tactical chip cleanly by subbing out fast bowler Jacob Duffy for Venkatesh Iyer at the end of the first innings, which provided the explosive start that won them the crown.
