Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans saw their title journey end in Ahmedabad on May 31 as they suffered a cruel defeat in the IPL grand finale against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Writing about the emotional blow on Instagram, Shubman Gill said the result was difficult to take, yet insisted the experience offered lessons about perseverance and the true spirit of T20 cricket. “We came so close but couldn’t get over the line. It hurts deeply, and the disappointment weighs heavy, but this game that we all love teaches us so much about life. One thing it’s taught me is that there is no defeat in losing, as long as we keep coming back and not give up,” Gill wrote. He added, “I want to thank each and every one of you who stood by us through the highs and the lows. Your energy pushed us to the very end,” the Gujarat skipper said.
For the IPL 2026 final, RCB won the toss and chose to bat first. Gujarat managed 155/8 in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar was the standout for the losing side, finishing unbeaten on 50 off 37 balls, striking five fours in the process. Nishant Sindhu also provided valuable support with 20 from 18 deliveries, including three boundaries. Apart from those two, no other batter crossed the 20-run mark.
RCB’s bowling kept applying pressure throughout the innings. Rasikh Dar Salam struck early and finished with figures of 3/27, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2/29. Josh Hazlewood also contributed with two wickets, ending with 2/37 as the Titans struggled to build a consistent partnership.
In reply, Bengaluru began strongly, assembling a 62-run platform through Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli. Iyer played aggressively for 32 off 16 balls, including four fours and two sixes, helping RCB get their chase moving with confidence. Gujarat fought back later as they pulled things back to 132/5 at one stage, but the game slipped away at the top end when Virat Kohli took control.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 75 off 42 deliveries, hammering nine fours and three sixes. With his knock carrying RCB over the line, the chase was completed with two overs to spare, sealing a famous title win.
The triumph marked RCB’s second IPL championship and their fourth major franchise trophy in India overall, counting earlier success as they also hold two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles.
