(Image source from: Facebook.com/IPL)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has claimed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 championship for the second time, becoming only the third team to achieve consecutive victories. RCB won against Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final, with Virat Kohli shining through with a score of 75 runs off 42 balls. As champions of the IPL, RCB will receive an impressive prize of Rs 20 crore. The Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, ended up as the second-place team and will get Rs 12.5 crore. Rajasthan Royals (RR), who lost in Qualifier 2, earned a total of Rs 7 crore. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who were eliminated in the first knockout round, received Rs 6.5 crore as their prize money. With Kohli's unbeaten 75 runs and strong performance from their bowlers, Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their IPL title, winning by five wickets against Gujarat Titans in the 2026 final held at the crowded Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

Washington Sundar's strong performance with an unbeaten 50 runs from 37 balls helped GT score 155 runs for 8 wickets. However, RCB's Rasikh Salam Dar took 3 wickets for 27 runs, while Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar made early breakthroughs to keep GT's score in check on a tricky pitch. In response, Kohli achieved his quickest fifty in the league, reaching it in just 25 balls and led the team’s chase of 156 runs with confidence, finishing not out at 75 runs off 42 balls, which included nine fours and three sixes. This also marked his highest score in IPL playoffs. RCB has maintained an impressive record where they have not lost a match since 2025 whenever Kohli has scored fifty runs, securing their place alongside Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings as the only teams to defend their IPL championship successfully. Furthermore, this continued the trend of the Qualifier 1 winners lifting the trophy for nine consecutive seasons.

With the victory sealed with two overs to go, it also means that Josh Hazlewood has never lost a match in white-ball finals, and Krunal Pandya has won every IPL final he has played in. GT, who were champions at the same location in 2022, were hindered by RCB's strategic bowling and the challenge of playing their third match at a different venue within six days, having arrived in Ahmedabad only on Saturday night due to bad weather conditions.