The final of the Indian Premier League 2026 served a nail-biter as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in a high-scoring game at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium by 5 wickets on this day in 2026. RCB registered an all-round team performance to successfully chase 156 and claim the IPL trophy for time in a row.
The likes of Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Josh Hazlewood and Kagiso Rabada were on display for the grand finale. But RCB dug deep and showed why they were the best team IPL 2026 had to offer once again on a day when their back was firmly against the wall.
Match Summary
| Match | IPL Final 2026 |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Date | May 31, 2026 |
| Toss | RCB won the toss and elected to bowl |
| GT Score | 155/8 (20 Overs) |
| RCB Score | 161/5 (18 Overs) |
| Result | RCB won by 5 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Virat Kohli |
| Player of the Series | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
IPL Final 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Match Scorecard
Gujarat Titans Scorecard
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Sai Sudharsan | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 100 |
| Shubman Gill (c) | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 125 |
| Nishant Sindhu | 20 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 111.11 |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | 19 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 82.61 |
| Washington Sundar | 50* | 37 | 5 | 0 | 135.14 |
| Arshad Khan | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 250 |
| Rahul Tewatia | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140 |
| Jason Holder | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140 |
| Rashid Khan | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 233.33 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Extras | 5 | ||||
| Total | 155/8 | 20 Overs |
RCB Bowling Scorecard
| Bowling | O | R | W | ECON |
| Jacob Duffy | 4 | 38 | 0 | 9.5 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 |
| Rasikh Salam | 4 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 |
Gujarat Titans Innings Analysis
GT began in a steady fashion but saw both Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill fall within the powerplay. The way both batters approached their innings, looked positive but wasted starts.
Jos Buttler, who had been one of the better performers for Gujarat throughout the season, faltered against an accurate bowling department. Buttler was dismissed after Krunal Pandya bowled a tight spell that built up pressure.
Washington Sundar then stepped up and played an innings of importance. He played in singles but he found boundaries whenever the opportunities came. An unbeaten 50 off 37 balls from him took Gujarat past the 150-run milestone.
There were late cameos from Arshad Khan and Rashid Khan, which proved handy, but GT ended up 20 to 25 runs short for what was a par total on the Ahmedabad surface.
RCB Batting Scorecard
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
| Virat Kohli | 75* | 42 | 8 | 3 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | 41 | 20 | 5 | 2 |
| Rajat Patidar | 14 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Tim David | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Jitesh Sharma | 11* | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Extras | 0 | |||
| Total | 161/5 | 18 Overs | 1 | 0 |
GT Bowling Scorecard
| Bowling | O | R | W | ECON |
| Mohammed Siraj | 4 | 36 | 1 | 9 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 44 | 1 | 14.66 |
| Jason Holder | 2 | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 |
| Arshad Khan | 4 | 32 | 1 | 8 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Most Fours in the Match
| Player | Team | Runs | Fours |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 75* | 8 |
| Washington Sundar | GT | 50* | 5 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | RCB | 41 | 5 |
| Nishant Sindhu | GT | 20 | 3 |
| Sai Sudharsan | GT | 12 | 2 |
Most Sixes in the Match
| Player | Team | Runs | Sixes |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 75* | 3 |
| Arshad Khan | GT | 15 | 2 |
| Venkatesh Iyer | RCB | 41 | 2 |
| Rashid Khan | GT | 7 | 1 |
| Tim David | RCB | 11 | 1 |
IPL Final 2026: RCB vs GT Playing 11s
GT Team Playing 11
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Jos Buttler (wk)
- Washington Sundar
- Rahul Tewatia
- Nishant Sindhu
- Jason Holder
- Rashid Khan
- Arshad Khan
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
RCB Team Playing 11
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Tim David
- Krunal Pandya
- Romario Shepherd
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Jacob Duff
- Josh Hazlewood
- Rasikh Salam Dar
Virat Kohli’s Match-Winning Knock
Virat Kohli was the man of the match for the final.
The RCB superstar played an innings that will be remembered as one of the best innings in IPL 2026 – unbeaten 75 (42). He had classy cover drives, strong pulls and important sixes off both pace Australia (and even Ravindra Jadeja).
Kohli brought up his half-century in just 25 balls, which is also the fastest IPL fifty scored by him. Most importantly though, he controlled the chase superbly and never let the required run rate become an issue.
But every time Gujarat threatened to make a game of it, Kohli punched a new hole through the field. That almost surgical precision in high-pressure situations once again shed light on why he is still one of the biggest match winners across cricketing circles.
Key Turning Points of the Match
Early Wickets for RCB
Gujarat Titans were two early wickets down in the powerplay after Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill got dismissed.
Rasikh Salam Dar’s Three-Wicket Spell
Rasikh dismissed Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan at fancy points to reverse the GT ship from racing ahead.
Washington Sundar’s Rescue Act
Gujarat Titans would not have reached even 130 runs without Sundar’s unbeaten half-century.
Aggressive opening by Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer
RCB started the powerplay very well and raced away to 70/2, forcing GT under immediate pressure.
Kohli’s Attack Against Rabada
For starters, one over of Kagiso Rabada turned the match completely as Kohli hit a barrage of boundaries and allowed RCB to keep on top in this chase.
Powerplay Comparison
| Phase | GT | RCB |
| Powerplay Score | 45/2 | 70/2 |
| Run Rate | 7.5 | 11.67 |
| Boundaries | 8 | 13 |
Award Winners From IPL 2026
| Award | Winner |
| Player of the Match | Virat Kohli |
| Player of the Series | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
| Orange Cap | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (776 Runs) |
| Purple Cap | Kagiso Rabada (29 Wickets) |
| Most Dot Balls | Mohammed Siraj (172) |
| Most Fours | Sai Sudharsan (75) |
| Emerging Player | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
RCB’s Road to the Trophy
IPL 2026 was a one horse race, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru never looked back. They finished first on the league table, clinched their playoff berth with ease, overcame Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and did it all over again in the final.
Captain Rajat Patidar was widely hailed as performing well along with in-form stars like Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya and Tim David where delivered the performance of their season.
The harmony of their squad and defined roles have been the primary reason for winning another title.
What Went Wrong for Gujarat Titans?
Gujarat Titans had a good season, even made it to the final, but faltered in the clinching game of the year.
The top order barely put down a solid platform, and the middle simply could never find its tempo. With a target that was within their grasp, they also let the game slip out of their hands in the powerplay with their bowling attack conceding too many runs.
While Washington Sundar had a fighting effort and Rashid Khan bowled well, Gujarat never really put RCB under pressure.
Conclusion
If we define the IPL 2026 Final in two moods, one would be Virat Kohli’s and another Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s in total domination. RCB were simply better than Gujarat Titans in as many aspects, on the field: bowling and fielding, batting and game awareness.
Unbeaten 75 from Virat Kohli was the performance-of-the-match while Rasikh Salam Dar took three wickets to set up the win. RCB finished with their second consecutive IPL title (it’s only their fifth this century) in the five-wicket victory to further cement their credentials among the league’s elite franchises.
Ultimately with match-winners proving their mettle when it mattered the most, and talented youngsters rising to the occasion throughout the season, RCB rounded off their campaign in IPL 2026 as worthy champions providing them well-deserved fans another title celebration for a lifetime.
FAQs About IPL Final 2026
1. Who won the IPL Final 2026 between RCB and GT?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the IPL 2026 Final by 5 wickets against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
2. Who was the Player of the Match in the IPL 2026 Final?
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 75 runs off 42 balls, which guided RCB to a comfortable victory in the title clash.
3. Who scored the most runs in the IPL 2026 Final?
Virat Kohli was the highest scorer of the match with an unbeaten 75 runs. For Gujarat Titans, Washington Sundar was the top scorer with an unbeaten 50 runs.
4. Which player hit the most fours and sixes in the IPL 2026 Final?
Virat Kohli dominated the boundary count in the final. He smashed 8 fours and 3 sixes during his match-winning innings, the most by any player in the championship match.
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