TNI Bureau: A commanding unbeaten 75 from Virat Kohli guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, helping the franchise secure its second consecutive IPL crown.

After opting to bowl first, RCB restricted Gujarat Titans to 155/8 in 20 overs. Rasikh Salam starred with the ball, claiming three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood chipped in with two wickets apiece.

In reply, RCB comfortably chased down the 156-run target in 18 overs. Kohli anchored the innings with a match-winning 75* off 42 balls and was named Player of the Match for his decisive contribution.

The triumph made RCB only the third team in IPL history to successfully defend its title, while captain Rajat Patidar joined an elite list of captains to win back-to-back IPL championships.

Meanwhile, 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi was named Player of the Series after amassing 776 runs, including 72 sixes, and also claimed the Orange Cap. Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada finished as the season’s highest wicket-taker with 29 scalps to win the Purple Cap, while Mohammed Siraj earned recognition for bowling the most dot balls (172) during the tournament.