Ahmedabad: Powered by Virat Kohli’s fastest half‑century in the IPL, Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed back‑to‑back IPL title triumphs by completing a clinical chase of 156 and beating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in front of their passionate fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
Kohli smashed a 25‑ball fifty and remained unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls. He continued his remarkable streak – RCB have not lost a game since 2025 whenever he has scored a fifty. Supported by Venkatesh Iyer’s brisk 32, Kohli’s masterly innings ensured the defending champions never lost grip of the chase and finished the job with authority to claim successive IPL crowns.
Both sides had entered the final eyeing their second IPL title and aiming to join the elite club of Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders as multiple‑time champions.
RCB, who won their maiden trophy in Ahmedabad in 2025, have now become only the third team after MI and CSK to successfully defend their title, extending the streak of Qualifier 1 winners lifting the trophy to nine seasons.
GT, champions in 2022 at the same venue, were undone by disciplined RCB bowling and the scheduling grind of playing their third game at a third venue in six days, having reached Ahmedabad only on Saturday night due to inclement weather.
Washington Sundar’s fighting fifty gave GT a total of 155/8, but Rasikh Salam Dar’s three‑for and early strikes from Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept them in check. Kohli’s landmark knock then turned the final into a one‑sided affair, reaffirming his reputation as the man for the big occasion.
With this triumph, RCB have not only defended their crown but also cemented their place among the league’s most successful franchises by joining MI and CSK in the rarefied company of back‑to‑back IPL champions.
Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 155/8 in 20 overs (Washington Sundar 50 not out, Nishant Sindhu 20; Rasikh Salam Dar 3-27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-29) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 in 18 overs (Virat Kohli 75 not out, Venkatesh Iyer 32; Rashid Khan 2-25) by five wickets
(IANS)
