Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s wait for a second straight IPL title didn’t stretch into a new century — it lasted just 362 days. In the biggest arena in the country, RCB returned to the venue of their previous triumph and delivered again, this time brushing aside Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets. Virat Kohli, the most-capped batter in IPL history, took centre stage on a night built for champions: he struck his quickest IPL fifty, reaching the milestone in 25 balls, and shepherded the chase through a few late hiccups to send RCB back onto the podium.
Final redux: RCB reclaim the trophy
For 361 days, RCB had lived with the thrill of being first-time champions. On the 362nd evening, they lifted the trophy again, repeating the success story with a new match-up and a familiar sense of control. The final outcome mirrored the big-game rhythm from their earlier title win — bowled well early, stayed on top in the middle overs, and finished with Kohli’s timing when it mattered most.
Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 155/8 (20 overs) — Washington Sundar 50* (37), Rasikh Dar 3-27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-29 — lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 161/5 (18 overs). Virat Kohli 75* (42), Rashid Khan 2-25 — RCB won by 5 wickets.
GT set 156: powerplay pressure and a late fight
Wind knocked out early
Rajat Patidar opted to bowl at the toss, even though the occasion demanded big-game convention. The decision worked almost immediately, with RCB’s new-ball attack troubling Gujarat Titans on a pitch that looked lively and loud under lights. Sai Sudharsan began with intent, finding a couple of boundaries and surviving a caught-behind appeal against Jacob Duffy after a review. Yet the Powerplay dents were delivered by experience: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood struck in key moments, including Hazlewood forcing Shubman Gill into a miscue as a pull went to mid-on, while Bhuvneshwar had Sudharsan caught behind taken by Jitesh Sharma after he had to move quickly across to his right.
- The Powerplay ended with RCB reducing Gujarat to 45/2, with Nishant Sindhu and Jos Buttler dragging the innings forward.
- Sudharsan’s early warning signs were blunted after the wicket pressure in the opening overs.
RCB kept the chase manageable
Once the batting was in motion, Rasikh Salam produced a cross-seam delivery that found Devdutt Padikkal at long-on, bringing an end to a subdued 18-ball stay. The innings continued to feel stretched — Gujarat went without a four or six for 35 deliveries after the Powerplay, as Krunal Pandya bowled frugally and kept the scoring rate under pressure.
RCB also managed breakthroughs at the right time. Krunal Pandya accounted for Buttler, and Arshad Khan arrived to counter the pressure with a six in the 13th over — the first maximum of the innings. That momentum was short-lived: Washington Sundar injected spark with a couple of fours, and Arshad Khan followed with another six during a 14th over that added 16 runs. But Patidar again shifted the bowling card, bringing back Hazlewood, who hit the hard length and removed Arshad Khan with a catch at short fine leg.
Hope rekindled at the death
In the final stretch, Gujarat’s tail found a little more resistance. Rasikh Salam dismissed Rahul Tewatia in the 16th over, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar used another short ball to send Jason Holder back. Washington Sundar then carried the innings on his shoulders, fighting through the pressure to set a defendable base.
- Washington Sundar struck three fours off Hazlewood in the 18th over.
- He reached a 37-ball fifty in the last over to drag Gujarat past 150.
With 155/8 on the board, Gujarat left RCB a clear target and enough time to make the chase look routine — provided they kept Kohli’s rhythm going.
RCB chase: Kohli’s brilliance and the finishing lift
Powerplay dominance: Virat vs Rabada and a flying start
From the start, RCB’s batting looked built for momentum. Kohli’s early shot-making in the Powerplay — including a sequence of drives and pulls — set the tone. The highlight came on the third ball of the fourth over: Kagiso Rabada delivered a full ball at 155 clicks, and Kohli’s bottom-hand whippy flick launched the ball over mid-wicket for a six. After that, shorter lengths invited more aggression, with a 19-run over featuring three fours adding to RCB’s control.
At the other end, Venkatesh Iyer, despite looking as though he had taken a blow to the knee, still found the boundary repeatedly against Rabada, scoring 18 in his previous over. RCB raced to 55/0 in four overs. Even when wickets arrived in quick succession — Venkatesh Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal — the chase didn’t wobble. RCB closed the Powerplay at 70/2 in six overs, keeping the pressure firmly on Gujarat.
Rashid Khan ruffled feathers, but RCB stayed ahead
Rajat Patidar kept the required rate ticking with a six off Mohammed Siraj in the seventh over, followed by a four off Jason Holder, ensuring the asking rate never looked comfortable for Gujarat. Then Rashid Khan introduced a sharper angle to the contest. Patidar appeared to get underneath a full ball and attempted to clear long-on, but Rabada completed the catch just short of the boundary, skimming past the rope. In the same over, Krunal Pandya was dismissed leg before wicket, giving Gujarat a brief breath.
Kohli’s fastest IPL fifty powers the push
Despite a strain that left him limping, Kohli reached a 25-ball fifty — the fastest fifty of his IPL career. He continued the same aggressive tempo, shielding the innings as the chase faced a momentary dip from a position of strength. Tim David joined him in a 41-run partnership before David was dismissed, nicking one behind off Arshad Khan.
Title moment: late scares, review drama, and emotional closure
The closing overs tightened into a tense, quiet spell for fans watching the finish line. Gujarat tried to claw back momentum late in the innings, bringing in impact substitute Prasidh Krishna to create more inroads, but RCB held their ground.
One moment nearly flipped the script for Kohli: he was caught by Shubman Gill at mid-off. However, an umpire’s review overturned the dismissal after evidence suggested part of the ball had struck the ground. With that, the path to victory stayed clear.
RCB’s defining emotional scene came with a familiar image from last year’s final. Kohli had been moved to tears then, visibly shaken near the boundary as the first title overwhelmed him. A year later, he was back in the middle of it — driving the ball into the stands over long-on to secure a second championship in as many years.
