Royal Challengers Bengaluru achieved the IPL glory for second straight time after beating the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final on Sunday, May 31. RCB handed GT a drubbing in the final, just like they did in Qualifier 1 to defend their title with a thumping five-wicket win.ย
Virat Kohli led the chase with his unbeaten 75, hitting the winning six, which he later admitted was a ‘stuff of dreams’. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Dar Salam had set it up with the ball, having rocked the Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
It was all celebration for Bengaluru as the fans started partying late in the night. Meanwhile, captain Rajat Patidar found enough time to remember their fans, who lost their lives in a tragic stampede last year after RCB won their maiden title. “Obviously, you feel bad. You lost your fans after winning the game. Not just the fans, they are the family members,” Patidar said in the post-match press conference after RCB beat GT. “I always want to dedicate this trophy to them. That’s it. I don’t have words to express that feeling.”
‘Never dreamt of winning two for RCB’: Patidar
Patidar was out of words and emotions when he led RCB to their second IPL title with a win over the Titans. He was made the captain in 2025 and carried a whole lot of expectations on his shoulders. The skipper said he never dreamt of winning two for the franchise. “Never dreamt I’d win two (IPLs) for RCB. It’s all written. Last year, there was a lot of pressure. This year, we were confident. All were in a good frame of mind as compared to last year. Pre-tournament prep was very good for me,” he said right after the match.
Patidar achieves IPL immortality
Patidar has become just the third skipper ever to defend their Indian Premier League title, joining the list featuring only MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Dhoni’s CSK did that by winning in 2010 and 2011, Rohit’s invincibles achieved the same in 2019 and 2020. RCB have now done it in 2025 and 2026 with Patidar at the helm.
While he finds himself in an elite list of these IPL and India legends, he has achieved what none of these two could have done. That is to win an IPL title as a captain in his first two seasons. Patidar was made the RCB captain in 2025 and won the title with them that year, ending an ever-long wait for their first title, and then he marshalled the team to defend the title in 2026.ย
ALSO READ |ย RCB’s golden days: From being chasers to two-time winners, how Bengaluru built the champion team?