IPL 2026 | Ee Sala, once more: RCB defend crown as Virat Kohli delivers again

Ahmedabad: A little less than a year after wiping away 17 years of agony when they scaled the summit of IPL for the first time, Royal Challengers Bengaluru extended their stay at the pinnacle for another year with a ruthless demolition of Gujarat Titans.

On a hot summer Sunday night at a sold-out Narendra Stadium that felt more like a home game for the defending champions with red jerseys outnumbering blue massively, the Royal Challengers were clinical right from skipper Rajat Patidar winning the toss till the victory was sealed with a kiss.

First it was their bowling attack that set the game up nicely for their batters to complete the job with a splendid performance that restricted Gujarat to a below-par 155/8. Pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29), Josh Hazlewood (2/37) and Rasikh Dar (3/27) brought their A game to the table while spinner Krunal Pandya (1/23) continued to turn the clock back with another frugal show in the middle overs to choke out a nervous GT.

RCB’s in-form batters then ensured the road to glory won’t be as heart-stopping as the one last year against Punjab Kings with chase master Virat Kohli (75 n.o. 42b) standing tall in the end with a knock from the vault. RCB chased down the target in 17.3 overs with 5 wickets to spare, becoming the third team after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to wear back-to-back crowns.

Venkatesh Iyer, who got the chance to play only at the fag end of the tournament following injuries to Phil Salt and his replacement Jacob Bethell, came charging out of the blocks along with talisman Kohli. Iyer, struggling with an injury and literally batting on one leg, smashed Kagiso Rabada for three boundaries and six in the second over to signal RCB’s intentions. Kohli, who likes to bide his time, especially in chases, matched the southpaw’s aggression as he belted Mohammed Siraj for two boundaries in the next over.

With both Iyer and Kohli finding their spark early on and going for the kill, runs started to come at a blinding speed. Both Iyer and Kohli showed no mercy to neither Siraj nor Rabada, taking the duo without any fear whatsoever. The fourth over when Kohli hammered Rabada for three boundaries and six — all shots of the highest quality against the Purple Cap holder — showed the mood the 37-year-old former captain was in.

Iyer departed following a 62-run partnership, but the southpaw had done his job in getting RCB off to a roaring start. Sometimes one wicket leads to another, and RCB lost a clutch of them in their high-speed pursuit. Devdutt Padikkal, Patidar and Krunal all perished within a blink of an eye as RCB slipped from 62/1 to 91/4 in 8.5 overs.

Although RCB were still ahead of the eight-ball, GT sensed a comeback from nowhere. Possessing a bowling attack as good as anyone’s in IPL, they hoped to cash in on the sudden shift in momentum. The rocked ship needed a seasoned captain to calm the sudden storm, and RCB had one of the best the sport has seen, Kohli, out there. He curbed his aggression for a brief moment and urged his partner Tim David to swallow his ego and not throw caution to the wind.

Well ahead of the asking rate, they initially focused on taking singles but played the odd big shot to ensure RCB never reached an uncomfortable stage. Brick by brick, they went about scaling down the target before David perished with 24 runs needed off 37 balls. But Kohli was there in the end to do it, this time tears giving way to raised arms.

While RCB celebrated, GT have only themselves to blame. Yes, RCB bowling was top-class, but none of their batters showed any intent that’s an absolute necessity in modern T20 cricket and paid the price.