Royal Challengers Bengaluru join elite list with back-to-back IPL titles
Ahmedabad, June 1: Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles after defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the Tata IPL 2026 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Following the victory, Virat Kohli (75* off 42 balls) said:
“I said to a few of the boys that there didn’t seem to be the same kind of pressure that there was last year. The composure of the guys really shone through tonight. After the break, we had a couple of losses, but we wanted to finish at the top. The win against MI gave us a lot of confidence. To have a group of players where you don’t feel like you are the only one who has to step up for the team is amazing.”
Krunal Pandya (1/23) who is the only player this season to score more than 200 runs and secure 10 wickets, said:
“There’s no doubt about it, everything is special. It’s like having kids, every IPL title is special because it’s so hard to achieve. A lot of credit goes to the support staff — Mo Bobat, Andy Flower, DK and Malolan. Half the victory is in the auction and we did a really good job there. I’m glad we’ve gone back-to-back with the trophies.
After 18 years of waiting, to now have back-to-back titles is special and the supporters have been behind us throughout. Virat Kohli waited 18 years for that first title and now he has two championships in a row. That’s special as well.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29), who finished the season with 28 wickets in 16 innings, the second-highest tally in the competition, said:
“Yes, the trophy is the most important. I would trade it for the Purple Cap. The season went well and there was a lot of planning ahead of it. When you take wickets, your confidence goes up. Going into a big game, previous performances and wins give you confidence. We were at our best tonight and that’s what we needed.”
Key Stats
- RCB become only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back IPL titles.
- RCB become the first team to simultaneously hold two consecutive IPL titles and a WPL title.
- RCB had eight different Player of the Match winners during the season.
- Virat Kohli registered the fastest IPL fifty of his career, reaching the milestone in 25 balls.
- Kohli scored 82 runs against Kagiso Rabada across their meetings this season, the most by a batter against a bowler in a single IPL edition.
- RCB raced to 50 in 3.3 overs, the fastest team fifty in an IPL Final.
- Rasikh Salam Dar’s 19 wickets are the most by an uncapped Indian bowler this season.
- Kohli becomes the first player to score 600-plus runs in four consecutive IPL seasons.
- Rajat Patidar finishes the season with 42 sixes, the third-highest tally in the competition.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar finishes with 28 wickets in 16 innings, the second-highest tally of the season.
- Krunal Pandya claims his fifth IPL title.
Most Wickets for RCB
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 28 wickets
- Rasikh Salam Dar – 19 wickets
- Josh Hazlewood – 15 wickets
Most Runs for RCB This Season
Devdutt Padikkal – 463 runs
Virat Kohli – 675 runs
Rajat Patidar – 501 runs
More to follow…
