RCB vs GT IPL 2026
The RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final was all the fans had wished for – tension, excitement, brilliance and history. In an epic rematch of the IPL 2025 final, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans to lift a third TATA IPL trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium (Motera) to further etch themselves into IPL history. It was the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 m atch from Ahmedabad on the night of May 31, 2026 – and what a performance to be cherished for decades to come. The triumph saw RCB come into a rare group of back-to-back champions in the IPL and proved once more why Virat Kohli is forever the pulse of this franchise.
Match Overview: RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final
Gujarat Titans 155/8: RCB bowlers, led by Rasikh Salam and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, put up a disciplined show to restrict Gujarat Titans to a modest 155/8. Even though the chase was a little rocky in between, Kohli scored an outstanding 75 off 42 balls to see RCB home in just 18 overs.
It was an exhibition of tactical Cricket from ball 1, in the RCB Vs GT IPL 2026 Final. After Rajat Patidar won the toss, their seam bowlers exploited a tacky surface well to limit Gujarat Titans – in only their third final in five years of existence – to 155.
Match Summary Table
| Detail | Info |
| Match | IPL 2026 Final |
| Date | May 31, 2026 |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Toss Winner | RCB (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 (75* off 42 balls) |
| Player of the Series | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR, 776 runs) |
Gujarat Titans’ Innings: Bowled Out of the Game Early
The first innings of the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 match changed everything. GT lost six of their eight batters to short-pitched bowling. Josh Hazlewood successfully executed the plan, dismissing Shubman Gill, alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar removing sai sudharsan and the GT batters struggled to find any rhythm.
In the third over, Captain Shubman Gill was dismissed caught by Rajat Patidar off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling while Bhuvneshwar Kumar had Sudharsan in the next. Nishant Sindhu was promoted up the order and Jos Buttler, who is in red-hot form, tried to settle down but could not ensure runs came off regularly.
This is the fifth-most wickets from a bowler in a season and, the next ball after dismissing Holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar equalised with Rabada (28 wickets) as highest wicket-taker of 2023.
Wickets falling at the other end, it was left to Washington Sundar to score a sensible 37-ball 50 and take GT past the 150-mark. For RCB, Rasikh Salam returned with 3/27 while Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood took two wickets each.
GT Batting Scorecard (IPL 2026 Final)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Key Detail |
| Shubman Gill (c) | 10 | 8 | Caught by Patidar off Hazlewood |
| B Sai Sudharsan | Out early | — | Dismissed by Bhuvneshwar |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | — | — | Stumped off Krunal Pandya |
| Nishant Sindhu | 20 | 18 | Dismissed by Rasikh Salam |
| Washington Sundar | 50* | 37 | Top scorer, carried GT to 155 |
| Jason Holder | 7 | 5 | Dismissed by Bhuvneshwar |
| Arshad Khan | 15 | 6 | Dismissed by Hazlewood |
| Rahul Tewatia | 7 | 5 | Dismissed by Rasikh Salam |
| Total | 155/8 | 20 overs |
RCB Bowling in the Final
| Bowler | Overs | Wickets | Runs |
| Rasikh Salam | 4 | 3 | 27 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 2 | 29 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 2 | 37 |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 1 | 23 |
RCB’s Chase: Kohli Lights Up Ahmedabad
RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final- One Man Show in the Second innings. In this finale, now Kohli made the fastest IPL fifty of his career and scored the highest in playoffs leading by five wickets with two overs left.
Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer provided RCB with a blistering start in the chase, raising a 50-run stand off just 3.3 overs, for the fastest team fifty in an IPL final. Meantime the two of them went after Kagiso Rabada and hammered 37 runs off the Protea pacers initial couple of overs. The partnership was eventually broken in the fifth over when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Iyer following a brisk 16-ball 32. Rabada then dismissed Devdutt Padikkal, and RCB went into the powerplay at 70/2.
GT held on to faint hopes when Rashid Khan struck twice in four deliveries, getting rid of Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya. A successful review managed to send Tim David packing as well, but Gujarat always seemed a step behind in the chase. But Virat Kohli never allowed the chase to slip away.
Kohli put on yet another masterclass under pressure bringing up his 50 in a mere 25 balls before seeing the innings out by pacing it perfectly to the end. Fairly balanced aggression with trademark calmness, Kohli finished the game not out on 75 off 42 balls so there were no late match jitters.
Kohli scored 75 not out from 42 balls, adding 29 runs for the sixth wicket with Jitesh Sharma (11 off 14) as RCB wrapped up a five-wicket win in only 12 balls after Kohli had kept them relevant at first.
RCB Batting Scorecard (IPL 2026 Final)
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Key Detail |
| Virat Kohli | 75* | 42 | Player of the Match, unbeaten |
| Venkatesh Iyer (Impact) | 32 | 16 | Blazing start at the top |
| Devdutt Padikkal | – | – | Dismissed by Rabada |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | – | – | Dismissed by Rashid Khan |
| Krunal Pandya | – | – | Dismissed by Rashid Khan |
| Tim David | – | – | Fell after DRS review |
| Jitesh Sharma (wk) | 11 | 14 | Helped seal the win |
| Total | 161/5 | 18 overs |
RCB vs GT IPL 2026: League Stage Encounter Too
It is not just the final fireworks from the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 rivalry. Both the teams have also faced each other earlier in the league stage as well. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) chased down 206/5 in 19.5 overs against GT to win the match by 5 wickets, with a remaining of balls: April 24, 2026 With that win, RCB continued to establish their top form over GT in the IPL 2026 clash between the two teams.
RCB vs GT IPL 2026: Head-to-Head in the Season
| Match | Venue | Winner | Margin |
| League Stage (April 24) | Bengaluru | RCB | 5 wickets (7 balls to spare) |
| Final (May 31) | Ahmedabad | RCB | 5 wickets (12 balls to spare) |
RCB dominated RCB vs GT IPL 2026 matches, claiming both contests by sizeable margins.
History Made: RCB Join Elite Club
RCB, chasing 156, scored 161/5 with 12 balls to spare and became only the third IPL franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to win back-to-back titles. The victory handed RCB their second IPL title and established them as one of the most successful franchises in the competition’s history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru took 18 years to win their maiden title, and needed one game less than that — just the second match of the season — as they became only the third team in history to defend it.
Individual milestones galore in RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final Krunal Pandya has won an IPL final 5/5 — he is also the only player to have defended a title with two teams!!!
Key Performers: Who Won the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final?
The IPL 2026 final was bookended by superb all-around performances from RCB.
The champion batter Virat Kohli was the true leader and led from the front with 75 not out to help his side win. It was in his capacity for acceleration whilst wickets were tumbling at the other end that a gulf between the sides became clear.
Rasikh Salam was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/27, completing what commentators called his best IPL season. This limited him to just 19 wickets for the year.
Josh Hazlewood gave the perfect start, striking early in the final against RCB vs GT IPL 2026 with a prized wicket of Shubman Gill while Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled throughout the tournament as consistently as he had the previous season.
Washington Sundar’s half-century stood out as the lone warrior in the midst of a batting collapse for Gujarat Titans, before Rashid Khan provided some hope for GT with two wickets during the middle overs to the chase.
FAQs on RCB vs GT IPL 2026
Q1. Who won the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final?
Match 65 : RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets (12 balls remaining) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad — May 31, 2026
Q2. What was the final score in the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final?
RCB chased down Gujarat Titans’ 155/8 in the 20 overs, completing a comfortable five-wicket win at 161/5 in just 18 overs in the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 decider.
Q3. Who was the Player of the Match in RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final?
Virat Kohli was awarded Player of the Match after his 75 not out from 42 balls, marking both his fastest IPL fifty and highest score in the playoffs.
Q4. Who was the best bowler in the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final?
In reply, Rasikh Salam Dar was the pick of RCB bowlers with figures of 3/27 in 4 overs and Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with 2 wickets each for RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final.
Q5. Is RCB the first team to win back-to-back IPL titles?
No. RCB were only third team to win back-to-back IPL titles after Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians In contrast, the victory of RCB vs GT IPL 2026 was the first time RCB had defended their title.
Q6. Did RCB beat GT in the league stage of IPL 2026 as well?
Yes. RCB also beat GT in their league-stage meeting, winning the encounter on April 24, 2026 in Bengaluru by 5 wickets with 7 balls to spare except the final. All RCB vs GT IPL 2026 matches summary (RCB won)
Conclusion
RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final as a lesson of temperament, team work and strategy by Royal Challengers Bengaluru Almost every aspect of the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 decider – from the controlled seam bowling that laid bare GT’s brittle batting line-up, to Kohli’s ice-cool chase – was dominated by RCB. Despite a valiant 42-ball fifty from Washington Sundar and a double-wicket burst from Rashid Khan to give Ahmedabad some hope, on the night RCB was too hot to handle.
While you might lose the plot in a few of the editions of RCB vs GT IPL 2026, this night will be etched forever as ‘The Night Kohli and his Warriors cemented a dynasty: The back-to-back champions are rightful holders to Indian cricket’s most glittering prize.
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