Royal Challengers Bengaluru win back-to-back IPL titles; Kohli unbeaten on 75

Summary

Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained the Indian Premier League title on 31 May 2026, defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat set 155 for eight, with Washington Sundar contributing an unbeaten fifty. Rasikh Salam took three for 27 and RCB chased the target in 18 overs, their captain Virat Kohli unbeaten on 75 from 42 balls with his fastest-ever Ipl fifty coming in just 25 deliveries. Kohli sealed the win with a six from the 18th over's last ball. The victory made RCB the first franchise to complete the Ipl-Women's Premier League double in the same calendar year, after the women's team won their own title earlier in the season. The Bcci confirmed the franchise has now won three IPL titles in total, two of them consecutive.

The split

Indian cricket coverage was split between celebrating Kohli's personal narrative, a 16-year quest for the IPL title before finally winning back-to-back, and analysing RCB's team-building model under head coach Sanjay Bangar. Pakistan sports media followed the performance of their national players in the tournament, while English county cricket press tracked the IPL's growing role in setting the global T20 salary market. International business outlets noted that RCB's title victory pushed the franchise's estimated valuation above US$1.5 billion, reinforcing the Ipl as the world's most lucrative T20 competition.

By the numbers

• 155/8, Gujarat Titans' score (20 overs)
• 161/5 in 18 overs, RCB's winning total
• 75*, Virat Kohli's innings (42 balls, 9 fours, 4 sixes)
• 25 balls, Kohli's fastest IPL fifty
• 3/27, Rasikh Salam's bowling figures for RCB
• 2, consecutive IPL titles won by RCB (2025, 2026)
• First franchise to complete the IPL-WPL double in the same year

Why it matters

The Ipl final draws a global audience exceeding 100 million and is the world's single most-watched cricket match of the season. The result consolidates Kohli's commercial standing as cricket's most bankable face at an age when many contemporaries have retired. For the Bcci, back-to-back RCB wins in the franchise's home market of Bengaluru boost media rights negotiations for the next IPL broadcasting cycle. Overseas broadcasters in the Gulf, Southeast Asia and the UK reported record streaming numbers for the 2026 final.

What to watch

• India's national squad selection ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup
• Bcci announcement on the IPL 2027 auction structure
• Whether any IPL franchises pursue further overseas market development deals in 2026
• Kohli's stated intention to retire from T20 internationals after this IPL cycle