The moment the ball sailed into the night sky, time seemed to pause. The entire RCB dugout stormed onto the field, leaping, screaming, embracing their ‘King’.
Virat Kohli had finished it in style, a whipped six off Arshad Khan to seal a five-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans. Helmet off, arms outstretched, he soaked it all in. RCB were IPL 2026 champions. Again.
IPL 2026 | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap
| Purple CapThe sea of red at the Narendra Modi Stadium, unbothered by the scorching Ahmedabad heat, finally exhaled. Fans had travelled from Mumbai, Jodhpur, Bengaluru, and beyond, all for one sight – a smile on Kohli’s face. And it was worth every mile, every drop of sweat. RCB repaid their ‘12th-man army’ with a second consecutive title, sealed
fittingly by their talisman amid deafening ‘Kohli, Kohli’ chants.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man
Given everything he has endured in his international journey, this second straight IPL title feels like solace, like closure. The night belonged to Kohli. RCB’s most loyal warrior since day one.
On Sunday, he didn’t just play the role; he became it.
Despite a few hiccups in the chase of 155, RCB always looked in control with Kohli at the helm. The moment he reached his fifty, the stadium transformed into a theatre – over 90,000 voices in unison, fireworks painting the sky, the atmosphere nothing short of surreal.
Hunger defines Kohli, not the records. He still plays like a teenager with a point to prove. Despite 65-plus IPL fifties, he chose the final for his fastest. Expected to anchor, he went after Rabada and Siraj, racing to 35 off just 12 balls.
Soon, though, the King began to cramp, struggling between the wickets. A brief medical check, a sip of water – and he was roaring again.
He finished unbeaten on 75 off 42, his highest score in an IPL final. More importantly, it was the first time he remained not out across five finals. A sheer masterclass in commitment and elite mindset.
Short-Ball Mayhem – RCB’s Execution To Perfection
If the batters put on a show, the bowlers scripted the plot. Bhuvneshwar, Rasikh, and Hazlewood were relentless with their short-ball strategy, hitting hard lengths and never allowing the Gujarat Titans any breathing space. Gill, Sudharsan, Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, and Rashid Khan – all fell to the ploy.
The experienced duo hit the right areas consistently, making strokeplay extremely difficult and forcing GT into a shell. Young Rasikh Salam Dhar complemented them brilliantly, removing Sindhu and Tewatia to break any momentum. Krunal Pandya ensured control through the middle overs, offering no respite.
Gujarat Titans Fail To Hide Their Weakness
Finishing off in style 🥳
And it’s none other than King Kohli 😎👑
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Yz6K3q6w0X#TATAIPL | #Final | #TheFinalLeap | #RCBvGT pic.twitter.com/FZNGQ26gBs
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 31, 2026
If Kohli showed how to win a final, GT, in many ways, showed how not to.
Promoting Nishant Sindhu to No. 3 ahead of Jos Buttler, and then sending Arshad Khan at No. 6, felt less like a gamble and more like a desperate attempt to mask long-standing batting frailties. In a game of this magnitude, it backfired badly. There was no Plan B.
The cracks that had been papered over all season stood exposed on the biggest night. When skipper Shubman Gill fell to his counterpart Rajat Patidar, the slide began.
Sudharsan followed soon after, undone by a sharp bouncer from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, mistiming a pull that barely reached a charging Jitesh Sharma.
The confusion only deepened as Buttler walked in at No. 4 alongside Arshad Khan. RCB needed one breakthrough to seize complete control, and Krunal delivered it with ease.
With the ship sinking, Washington Sundar fought a lone battle, dragging GT to 155 with a fighting half-century. And what a coincidence – 155 was the exact score RCB had chased when these two sides met here in the league stage.
Only this time, the stakes were everything. And the King made sure history repeated itself.
