New Delhi, June 1: The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) showcased an impressive performance, clinching the title in IPL 2026. Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, RCB defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final match. Virat Kohli emerged as the hero of the championship clash, leading RCB to victory. Following the successful title defense, Kohli shared an emotional message on his social media.
Kohli expressed on the platform ‘X’, “Last year, we asked ourselves if we could win the title consecutively. We did it again.”
In the final, Kohli’s bat shone brightly. He partnered with Venkatesh Iyer to give RCB a fantastic start against the Gujarat Titans, scoring 62 runs for the first wicket in just 27 balls. Kohli was in excellent form, achieving the fastest fifty of his IPL career, reaching the milestone in just 25 balls.
Facing 42 balls, Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 runs at a strike rate of 178, hitting nine fours and three sixes. Tim David also contributed with 24 runs off 17 balls.
Earlier, RCB’s bowlers delivered a stellar performance, restricting the Gujarat Titans to a score of 155 runs. Washington Sundar was the only GT player to find some rhythm, scoring a commendable 50 runs off 37 balls.
For RCB, Rasikh Salam excelled, taking three crucial wickets while conceding only 27 runs in his four-over spell. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood each took two wickets, helping RCB become only the third team in IPL history to defend their title.
Before RCB, this achievement was accomplished by the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. Kohli was the leading run-scorer for RCB in IPL 2026, amassing 675 runs at a strike rate of 165 across 16 matches.
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