Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Riding on Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 and a disciplined display from their seamers, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended their IPL crown with a five‑wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the 2026 final at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31.
Washington Sundar’s fighting unbeaten 37-ball fifty took GT to 155/8, though Rasikh Salam Dar’s 3-27 and early strikes from Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept them in check on a mixed soil pitch. In reply, Kohli registered his fastest half‑century in the league off 25 balls and anchored the chase of 156 with trademark authority by remaining unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls – laced with nine fours and three sixes, also his highest score in the IPL playoffs.
It also continued a remarkable streak – RCB have not lost a game since 2025 whenever Kohli has scored a fifty, as he ensured the side joined Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings as the only teams to successfully defend their IPL title, while extending the streak of Qualifier 1 winners lifting the trophy to nine seasons.
The win completed with two overs to spare also means Josh Hazlewood remains unbeaten in white-ball finals while Krunal Pandya has emerged victorious in every IPL final he’s played in. GT, champions in 2022 at the same venue, were undone by disciplined RCB bowling and the scheduling grind of playing their third game at a third venue in six days, having reached Ahmedabad only on Saturday night due to inclement weather.
Kohli’s landmark knock then turned the final into a one‑sided affair, thus reaffirming his reputation as the man for the big occasion.
