RCB Wins Back To Back! Claims IPL 2026 Title By 5 Wickets, How Many Teams Have Won Consecutive IPL Titles? Find Out

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are IPL champions for the second year in a row. On a historic Sunday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Rajat Patidar's men defeated the Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets comfortably to lift the IPL 2026 trophy, completing a dominant performance from start to finish. RCB have become only the third team in IPL history to win back-to-back titles. Chennai Super Kings were the first team to achieve the feat, winning in 2010 and 2011, while Mumbai Indians later did the same by winning consecutive titles in 2019 and 2020. Now, Bengaluru stand alongside those two legendary franchises in the most exclusive club in Indian cricket.

RCB won the toss and asked Gujarat Titans to bat first. It turned out to be a brilliant decision. Josh Hazlewood struck early, getting rid of GT captain Shubman Gill for just 10 off 8 balls, with Rajat Patidar taking a sharp catch. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then sent back Sai Sudharsan for 12, leaving GT struggling at just 26 for 2.

Things went from bad to worse for the home side. Nishant Sindhu tried to attack but was stumped. Jos Buttler was then out to a clever Krunal Pandya delivery, a wide yorker that pinned him in front of his stumps. Rahul Tewatia fell for just seven, leaving GT in serious trouble at 115 for 6 after 16 overs.

Washington Sundar brought up a fighting half-century off 37 balls and provided the only real resistance, but GT could only reach 155 for 8 in their 20 overs. It was never going to be enough against this RCB side.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 4-0-29-2. The wicket of Jason Holder in his final over took him level with Kagiso Rabada at 28 wickets for the season, giving him the Purple Cap on account of a better economy rate. But Rabada managed to take it back by claiming 29 wickets. At 36 years old, bowling in his second IPL final for RCB, Bhuvi was simply magnificent all night.

RCB began their chase of 156 in the best possible way. Virat Kohli reached his half-century in just 25 balls, his fastest IPL fifty, pulling a short Arshad Khan delivery over mid-wicket with complete authority to raise his bat in front of the delirious crowd.

GT tried to fight back through Rashid Khan, who picked up two quick wickets to reduce RCB to 91 for 4. But Kohli, who had scored nearly all of his runs on the leg side, kept RCB on track and refused to panic even as partners fell around him. With Tim David lending solid support at the other end, RCB cruised home well inside 20 overs to complete a comfortable victory.

What makes this title so special is the company it puts RCB in. Mumbai Indians won IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, with their back-to-back success coming in 2019 and 2020. Chennai Super Kings have five titles of their own in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023, with their consecutive victories coming right at the start of the IPL era. For 15 years after CSK's back-to-back wins, no team was able to repeat that feat until Mumbai did it. And for another six years after that, no team could do it again. RCB have now made it three teams in history to achieve it, making this title every bit as meaningful as the first one they won in 2025.

Just one year ago, RCB won their maiden IPL title, beating Punjab Kings by 6 runs at the same Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with skipper Rajat Patidar dedicating the win to Virat Kohli and the fans. Now, twelve months later, they are back at the same ground, lifting the same trophy, and this time there is no maiden tag. There is simply greatness. For Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rajat Patidar and the whole RCB unit, tonight is the night the team from Bengaluru stopped being a great story and became a great dynasty.