Royal Challengers Bengaluru are champions again. A steady five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Chennai put them alongside Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the only sides to defend an IPL title.
The headline numbers are straightforward. Titans posted 167 for 7, Josh Hazlewood taking 3 for 28 and Krunal Pandya conceding just 24 from his four overs. RCB replied with 171 for 5, reaching the target with nine balls to spare thanks to a measured 58 from Rajat Patidar and a late burst from Glenn Maxwell. It looked routine on the scorecard, yet the dressing-room mood was noticeably lighter than twelve months ago.
Virat Kohli summed it up, pausing on the outfield and then telling television interviewer Harsha Bhogle: “I said to a few other boys that it doesn’t feel like the same pressure as last year. We knew what kind of ability we have in the group… if we stick to our cricket, if we execute our plans, we are the best team in the comp.”
That confidence, he added, returned the moment RCB edged a tense group-match finish against Mumbai Indians. From there they topped the table, earning the direct passage to the final that has become gold dust under the present play-off system. “Just the skill sets we have, the maturity, the composure of the guys just shown through again tonight, and it was a clinical performance,” he said.
The bowling
A short word on the ball before we revisit the chase. Hazlewood’s extra bounce did for both Shubman Gill and Kane Williamson inside the powerplay, while the unheralded seamer Rasik Dar produced another calm set at the death. Kohli reeled off the names with the pride of a captain, even if technically Patidar carried that title this season. “I mean, you look at world-class bowling, like Hoff [Josh Hazlewood], Bhuv [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], Duff [Jacob Duffy]… Rasik Dar was brilliant this season.”
Those options made it easier to leave out an all-rounder and play the additional batter – a call that mattered when the chase briefly wobbled at 106 for 4.
The chase
Kohli’s own 32 (27 balls) gave the innings shape, but Patidar again absorbed most of the heat. Varun Aaron, providing television commentary, put it neatly: “What Patidar has done is amazing.” The 32-year-old batter, captain for a second campaign after Kohli stepped aside, has averaged 48 across the two title-winning years.
“It feels superb [to win back-to-back],” Patidar said. “When we came here, there were a lot of memories of the last year… At the same time, we had to be more in the present.” He explained the decision to field first was based on the surface – a used strip that looked tacky but improved under lights. “Our plan was to get their top three… in the powerplay, so that it’s easy for us. And our bowlers bowled brilliantly, not only in this match but throughout the tournament.”
Captaincy still feels slightly surreal to him. “To be honest, I never dreamed of that, to be a captain and lift a trophy for RCB. I think it was all written, and I’m grateful for it.”
Expert view
Former Australia coach Tom Moody, analysing on television, believes Kohli’s lighter workload has unlocked another gear. “He is now playing for fun,” Moody says. “The pressure is off, so the runs look inevitable again.” That line might sound romantic, yet the numbers back him up: 543 runs at a strike rate north of 145, a clear jump on 2025.
Key takeaways
• RCB are now level with CSK on five IPL titles, one behind Mumbai.
• Hazlewood’s early strikes – both through traditional Test-match lengths – underline why high-class pace still matters in T20, despite all the talk about mystery spin.
• Bengaluru’s depth meant Finn Allen, Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik could attack without fretting over the scoreboard, a luxury Gujarat never really enjoyed.
Room for improvement? Possibly sharper catching. A sitter from Sai Sudharsan went down when he was on 12; he finished with an unbeaten 64. On most nights that hurts more.
Looking ahead
The squad will scatter to different international commitments next week. Kohli heads to Zimbabwe for India’s T20Is, Patidar joins the red-ball group preparing for a one-off Test in Bangladesh, and Hazlewood is expected to be rested by Australia. Retaining the core next auction will be tricky with two new franchises due in 2027, but the word from inside the camp is that management want minimal change.
For now, they will celebrate. It has taken RCB 16 years to move from the “nearly men” tag to serial winners. This second title in two seasons feels less cathartic than the first; instead, it hints at a side that has learned how to handle the grind. Or, as Kohli put it on a night that felt suspiciously relaxed for a final: “We have balance, we have strength and we are an all-round strong team. That’s why we have the confidence we have on the field right now.”
