It feels superb. When we came here there was a lot of memories of last year. I don’t have words to express but feeling very good. 

Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, Rasikh, Krunal, Suyash and Shepherd bowled really well throughout the tournament. I never dreamt of becoming the captain of RCB and lifting the trophy. I think it was written. Grateful for that.

We were slightly more confident than last year. Everywhere it felt like a home ground for us with the fans coming in. The pre-tournament prep was very good for me. I tried to analyze which shots are good for me. I got so many inputs from Dinesh Karthik, which were helpful for me.

If we would have got close to 180, it would have been a good match. First three-four overs there was some movement for the fast bowlers and we lost momentum after losing a couple of early wickets.

We conceded 15-20 runs too many in the PowerPlay. I think we were one of the best bowling sides in the tournament. After losing the first couple of games we came back. Very happy. We couldn’t get over the line but there would have always been areas to improve even if we won the trophy.

IPL Final Player of the Match: Virat Kohli

Purple Cap: Kagiso Rabada (GT) - 29 wickets

Most Valuable Player: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)

Emerging Player: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)

Most sixes: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) - 71 sixes

Most fours: Sai Sudharsan (GT) - 75 fours

Best strike rate: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) - 237.31

Most dot balls: Mohammed Siraj (GT) - 172 dot balls

Best catch: Manish Pandey (KKR)

Fair Play Award: Punjab Kings

Pitch and Grounds Award (Four matches or less): Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association

Pitch and Grounds Award: Cricket Association of Bengal

It’s been incredible. The entire group, playing with these guys has been amazing. When you train with such high-quality players, you improve.

The bowlers have been good throughout, they execute the plans really well. I have attended a few meetings and seen that they are meticulous in planning and then they execute them as well.

On Virat Kohli: When each wicket fell, I was asking Venky that are you nervous and he said as long as VK is there is nothing to fear. He is always improving and hungry for more.

We want to stick to this feeling of winning.

I was telling the boys that this year the pressure is not the same. There is a reason why we got here first, why we topped the table. We knew if we stuck to our strengths we are the strongest team.

After the [one week] break we had a loss and a close game, that week was a tricky one but the belief was back after the MI win and we were on our way to the final after that.

We had to wait for so long for the first title but to have a group of boys where you don’t have to stand up every time. We have boys who can win us games. I feel so happy to be playing in a group that is so balanced.

Arshad back for his third. RCB needs just eight off the last three overs.

Three singles off the first four balls. FOUR for Kohli on the fifth! Pulls it between mid-on and midwicket.

SIX! Kohli lofts this over long on and RCB wins by five wickets.

11 needed off 24.

Rashid for his final over. Just three singles in this over.

Arshad to Kohli, on the pads and Kohli helps it along the way to the fence for FOUR.

Kohli departs. His drive off the final delivery of the over is not off the middle. It dies down at mid-off but Gill dives in front and grabs this. However, a third umpire check shows Gill has grassed it and Kohli survives.

Jitesh Sharma is the new batter at crease.

Prasidh Krishna into the attack. Kohli drives to long-on and takes a single. FOUR for Jitesh, picks the gap between extra covers and mid-off.

Jitesh chips the fifth delivery through the on side, gets two runs.

Seven runs from the over.

We’re done with both timeouts. RCB needs just 30 runs off 42 balls.

Arshad to continue.

FOUR for David! A hint of width, short enough too, and David swats this between extra covers and mid-off.

WICKET! Tim David is caught behind, it’s not given on field by GT reviews and gets the call in its favour.

Tim David c Buttler b Arshad 24(17)

Rashid to Kohli, single to long off, the ball hangs in the air for a fraction as he punches this but it beats the lunging Rashid to his left.

SIX! A step-hit from David, just enough venom behind it to clear long-on.

10 runs off the over.

FIFTY FOR KOHLI! He gets there off just 25 balls. He is taking RCB home in this run chase. This delivery from Arshad is short enough to pull, he hits it in front of square and puts it wide enough of the long-on fielder.

Seven runs off this over.

Rashid to bowl his second. Kohli picks two on the first delivery through deep covers, there is a direct hit at the non-striker’s end but David is home safely.

A single on the second ball to deep square leg.

David cuts the fourth ball to deep covers, runs two but he seems to have tweaked something. We have a delay for a physio check.

David gets a thick edge on the final delivery as he tries to cut it again, there’s no short third in place and it runs away to the boundary.

Holder to Kohli, FOUR, that’s a freebie! Straying down the leg, Kohli just has to get bat on it and he trickles this to fine leg.

He pulls the third to deep midwicket, gets one run.

FOUR for Tim David! Just a fraction short, David pulls this off his back foot, and manages to pick the gap between long-on and deep midwicket.

Rashid Khan comes into the attack.

WICKET! Patidar is gone! Does not read the googly, clears his front leg and tries to clear long-on, gets caught just inside.

Rajat Patidar c Rabada b Rashid 15(13)

Krunal Pandya in at No. 5. He has been given leg before on the fifth delivery. And he does not review it, he’s walking back. He goes for a sweep and misses, was plumb in front of the stumps.

Krunal Pandya lbw b Rashid 1(2)

Tim David the new batter. There is a short-leg and slip in place. He defends the first ball.

Siraj for the last time this IPL. 

SIX! A juicy half volley, Patidar swivels and pulls this beyond deep square leg.

11 runs from the over, Siraj ends his four overs with 1-36.

Another wicket! Rabada has his 29th wicket which assure him the Purple Cap. A full delivery outside off to Padikkal, who opts for a drive, ends up slicing it to deep third man.

Devdutt Padikkal c Arshad b Rabada 1(4)

In comes captain Rajat Patidar. He tucks his fourth delivery through square leg and gets one.

SIX to end the PowerPlay. A bouncer to Kohli, he goes for a pull and manages to steer this over fine leg.

Siraj once more. Kohli picks a single on the first ball.

SIX! Venkatesh is fighting fire with fire. Siraj tests him with a bumper, which is hooked over the deep backward square leg fielder for a maximum.

WICKET! Venkatesh goes for another pull shot, but fluffs it to mid-on.

Venkatesh Iyer c Rabada b Siraj 32(16)

Devdutt Padikkal is the next batter in. He gets off the mark with a tap to deep third for one.

Kohli facing Rabada now. 

He runs down the first delivery to third man for the first FOUR. On the next ball he clips a length ball through square leg.

The flick on the third delivery is the pick of the over, whips through the air and clears the fence. The fourth straight boundary comes with a pull through midwicket off a bouncer.

Siraj to Kohli, FOUR! On the pads, nips in off the surface, Kohli uses the pace and nudges this down fine leg. Kohli tries to charge and slog on the second, misses.

FOUR again! Slightly short and Kohli short-arm jabs this wide of midwicket. Kohli comes down the crease on the fourth delivery, taps to mid-on and runs a single.

FOUR for Venkatesh now! Siraj attempts a bouncer but Venkatesh plays it off his toes, rides the bounce and pulls this away 

Kagiso Rabada to Venkatesh, FOUR, makes a hint of room and chips this ball over covers.

Beaten on the second ball! Extra bounce on this, Venkatesh tries to play this on the up and nudge to third man but misses. 

SIX now! On the pads from Rabada and Venkatesh gently picks this over midwicket. FOUR to follow! Venkatesh is going after the best bowler this IPL, whacks this length ball beyond mid off.

Edges and FOUR! Venkatesh is countering his knee pain by going after every delivery. He swings and gets an edge over the keeper on the final ball.

Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer walk out to begin the chase. The first over will be bowled by Mohammed Siraj.

The first delivery tails into Venkatesh, dabs it straight and gets a single. Kohli flicks the second ball, comes off the thigh pad and the batters run one.

ALMOST! Venkatesh pulls out a lap shot and misses. The swing on the ball prevents it from crashing into the castle.

Venkatesh gets an inside edge on the fifth to deep fine leg, runs two. He is in clear discomfort now and calls for the physio. On the fourth ball an inside edge hit him just above the right knee and that appears to be hurting now.

A single to deep square leg on the final delivery.

The lowest total defended in an IPL final is 129, by Mumbai Indians against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. 

The nerves in the high-pressure match might come in if GT gets a couple of early breakthroughs. RCB has relied on flying starts in the last two years. Will it temper its approach now?

So 156 is the target for Royal Challengers Bengaluru if it is to secure back-to-back IPL titles. This is a pitch that decidedly sluggish, but Gujarat Titans will wonder if 15-20 runs more might have it in the drivers seat.

Its big three of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler all fell cheaply but a responsible, calm fifty from Washington Sundar means that GT has a score on the board to defend. 

This won’t be an easy chase on a sluggish wicket. Can Gujarat Titans defend this total? Stay with us to find out.

Rasikh Salam to finish the innings, and Rashid slaps it down the ground for six! Short again, and this time he’s holed out! Good comeback by the bowler. 

Rashid Khan c Romario Shepherd b Rasikh Salam 7 (3b)

Kagiso Rabada is the new man, and drives straight but Rasikh fields well off his own bowling. Yorker dug out for one. Two fours get GT to 160. Full again, and Washington drills it to the sweeper to raise a responsible 37-ball fifty! Well played, his side is firmly in the game now. Rabada chips it for two to end the over, and Gujarat Titans finishes on 155 for eight in 20 overs!

Bhuvi now, and Washington starts with four! GT is pulling itself forward now. Single down the ground. And he has Holder now! Short ball edged up, and Hazlewood takes the catch at short third! 

Jason Holder c Josh Hazlewood b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 7 (5b)

Rashid Khan is in, he can hit a big ball. Pushed one to start. Punched back to the bowler for a dot. Sliced backward of point for two.

Rasikh Salam returns, and he’s got Tewatia! Length ball, Tewatia tries to go over mid-on and miscues it to a retreating Patidar! 

Rahul Tewatia c Rajat Patidar b Rasikh Salam 7 (5b)

Jason Holder walks out, and boy does GT need some runs from him. Pushed down the ground for one. Clipped away for one. One more to Holder. Dropped into the legside for two more. Single to end the over.

Hazlewood is in, and he’s got rid of the pinch-hitter! Into the wicket, and Arshad gloves it to short fine. 

Arshad Khan c Rasikh Salam b Josh Hazlewood 15 (6b)

Rahul Tewatia, who got a fifty in the last match against these sides, comes to the crease. Single to start. Quick single to Washington, Patidar misfields to allow a second. Pushed to third for one. Tewatia pulls one more. Yet another single ends the over.

Duffy to bowl out now, and Washington pulls through midwicket for four! GT clearly trying to inject some speed into its scoring. And now a thick edge past the keeper for four! GT is away now! Worked to short fine for one. 

Arshad tees off down the ground for six now! He’s away! Slogged for one. Punched to cover to end the over.

Krunal to bowl out, Buttler advances and is stumped! He was trying to change gears, and Krunal takes full toll! 

Jos Buttler st Jitesh Sharma b Krunal Pandya 19 (23b)

Arshad Khan gets a promotion, and nearly chips a catch to midwicket! Sundar clips off the pad for one. Arshad has a swing, and gets it over leg for six! Fired in, and Arshad gets his bat down in time for one. Sundar punches for one to end the over.

Jacob Duffy is back into the attack after an expensive first over. Duffy bowls the length ball outside off, Washington defends, dot ball. Washington guides it off his pads at deep square leg for a single.

Buttler taps it on the offside on the up for a single. Short from Duffy, Washington hooks it to deep square leg for a single. Duffy pitches it up, Buttler knocks it to long on for a single.

Sharp bouncer from Duffy, Washington goes aerial but does not get the distance, and Jordan Cox completes a good diving catch at deep fine! But wait a minute, there’s a twist! Replays show that the ball touched the ground while completing the catch and the decision is overturned! 

Krunal with his second. Buttler takes a single off the second delivery. Washington Sundar is the new batter for GT. Gets off the mark with a single on the leg side.

Buttler knocks it to cow corner for a single. Washington defends, dot ball. Krunal drifts it onto the pads, Washington knocks it to deep square leg for a single. Another tidy over from RCB. 

Rasikh with his second. Buttler takes a single. Change of angle from Rasikh, around the wicket to the left hander, Sindhu chips the length delivery to long on for a single. 

Rasikh bowls a short ball, Buttler goes for the pull but toe edges it, single down the ground. Sindhu pulls the short ball in the gap between the two fielders in the leg side but David from mid wicket cuts it down to two runs! Good fielding! 

Rasikh maintains that back of the length line, hits Sindhu’s bat high, dot ball. Sindhu, looking to up the ante, swings and holes out to long on! Rasikh strikes, more trouble for GT!

Nishant Sindhu c Devdutt Padikkal b Rasikh Salam Dar 20(18) [4s-3]

Rasikh Salam to close out what has been just the perfect PowerPlay for RCB. Sindhu defends off the first two deliveries. Sindhu cuts the length ball to the sweeper for a single.

Full toss from Rasikh, hits the inside half of Buttler’s bat, GT takes a single. Knuckle ball from Rasikh, Sindhu slogs it behind square on the leg side for FOUR! Dot ball to finish, advantage RCB after the first six. 

Hazlewood with his second. Bowls the middle stump length delivery, Sindhu defends, dot ball. Ooooh Sindhu plays the cut in the air but its in the gap and its FOUR!

Sindhu guides it to short third, misfield from Bhuvi and the ball races away to the boundary! Sindhu uses Hazlewood’s pace to good effect! 

Sindhu knocks it behind square for a single. Buttler defends, dot ball. Ooooh sharp bouncer from Hazlewood, Buttler ducks, dot ball to finish. 

Bhuvneshwar with his second, starts with a pace off delivery, Sai knocks it on the leg side for two runs. Good ball from Bhuvi, nails the tight line and length, Sai defends, dot ball.

Ooooh bouncer from Bhuvi, Sai does not offer a shot, dot ball. Another bouncer from Bhuvi and this time Sai tries to attack, skies the upper cut in the air and Jitesh runs back and completes the catch! COLOSSAL MOMENT IN THE GAME, BOTH OPENERS BACK IN THE DUGOUT! RCB ARE ALL OVER GT! GILL LOOKS LOST FOR WORDS IN THE DUGOUT!

Sai Sudharsan c Jitesh Sharma b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 12(12) [4s-2]

Jos Buttler is in at four for GT. The Titans desperately need a partnership. Buttler guides it to mid wicket, oh slight trouble at the non strikers end but Sindhu gets back in time. Buttler guides it fine off his pads for FOUR! 

Hazlewood to bowl the third, Gill welcomes the big Aussie with a handsome pull over mid wicket for FOUR! HAZLEWOOD STRIKES NEXT BALL! Length ball, mishit and captain Rajat Patidar takes a simple catch at mid off! Huge moment in the game! 

Shubman Gill c Rajat Patidar b Josh Hazlewood 10(8) [4s-2]

Nishant Sindhu is GT’s batter at three, not Jos Buttler. Sindhu takes a single on the offside. Ooooh hits the splice of Sudharsan’s bat, but he survives, close one. Sudharsan flicks it off his pads on the leg side for a single. Dot ball to finish. Excellent over from Hazlewood. 

Bhuvi to bowl the second. Gill defends first ball. Ooooh Bhuvi shapes it away from Gill, beats his defence, dot ball. Cracking shot from Gill on the up, classy shot, full face of the bat through covers for FOUR!

Length ball outside off from Bhuvi, Gill toe edges the cut to short third, dot ball. Gill charges and cuts it to deep point for a single.

Oooh absolute peach from Bhuvi, length ball nips off the surface sharply, beats Sudharsan’s outside edge. 

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan walk out to the middle to begin the first innings. Jacob Duffy takes the new ball for RCB. Sai Sudharsan on strike, first slip in place. Here we go.

Duffy pitches it up first up, Sudharsan guides it to mid on, dot ball. Duffy pitches it up again, little bit of swing, Sudharsan drives to mid off, dot ball.

FIRST BOUNDARY OF THE FINAL! Sudharsan guides it fine off his pads for FOUR! Hold the pose Sai! Half volley outside off and Sudharsan hits a glorious cover drive! FOUR RUNS!

Short delivery down leg, Sudharsan attempts the pull, Jitesh appeals for the nick and ITS GIVEN! HUGE MOMENT IN THE GAME! Sudharsan is confident he hasn’t edged it, takes the review.

Ultraedge shows no spike, Sai gets the review spot on, he survives! Wide down leg side again from Duffy. Sudharsan taps the length ball to deep point for a single.

Wide down leg side again from Duffy, the Kiwi is struggling to maintain his lines at the moment, third extra of the over. Better line from Duffy drifting onto the pads, Gill takes a single on the leg side. 

Right, so for one final time this season, Gujarat Titans will bat first after RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first.

The surface that will be used tonight is not a belter by any stretch, but with that being said, anything less than 180 will not suffice for the 2022 champions. 

The onus for a competitive total will once again fall on the dependable opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan but in their way stands RCB’s pace battery led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has got the better of Gill more often than not.

The PowerPlay in the first innings could very well decide the outcome of today’s all-important clash. A couple of wickets and it will definitely be advantage RCB. But if Gill and Sudharsan can put together a partneship like they did against RR in Qualifier 2, the going will get tough for RCB.

How much will GT rake up in the first innings? Stay tuned to find out, first innings to begin shortly. 

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj

Impact subs- Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Impact subs- Venkatesh Iyer, Kanishk Chouhan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

With the trophy beside the captains, the coin will go up for one final time this season.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar wins the toss and opts to bowl first.

“Looks like a good wicket, its a lot of memories but the focus is on playing our best cricket today and win the title for the second time. Focusing on the controllables,” says Patidar.

RCB are unchanged.

Good toss to lose for GT as captain Shubman Gill says he was looking to bat first.

“The boys are fresh and ready, ready to put our best foot forward,” says Gill.

One change for GT, Arshad Khan is in for Sai Kishore.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar has the opportunity to join an exclusive list of captains to win multiple IPL trophies tonight, a list that features only two names at the moment- MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, two of the greatest ever captains in not just the IPL, but for the Indian team.

Dhoni and Rohit achieved the feat as captains of CSK and MI respectively, and Patidar will join the list if RCB manages to defeat GT tonight. 

The final will be played on pitch number 6- a mixed soil surface, equidistant on both sides of the square, 66 metres on each side. 

Makes it a good batting wicket, flat and hard, but the experts reckon the surface might be slightly on the slower side.

Win toss, bowl first is the verdict from Aaron Finch and Ian Bishop after the inspection. 

Tim David has once again played the finisher role to perfection for RCB but against GT in the final tonight, he could potentially go up against Rashid Khan, one of his lesser favourite bowlers. 

In six innings in the IPL, Rashid has dismissed David at thrice, while going at just a run a ball. Considering Rashid’s favourable matchup over the Australian, holding back an over for the Afghan for the death overs when David usually comes into bat will not be a bad option. 

Results

1. GT vs RR, IPL 2022 - Gujarat Titans won by 7 wickets

2. CSK vs GT, IPL 2023 - Chennai Super Kings won by 5 wickets

3. RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2025 - Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 runs

Batting and bowling stats

Highest team score: 214/4 by Gujarat Titans (2023)

Highest individual score: 96 - Sai Sudharsan (GT vs CSK, IPL 2023)

Best bowling figures: 3/17 - Hardik Pandya (GT vs RR, IPL 2022)

Wickets taken by pacers: 26

Wickets taken by spinners: 10

Only two batters have managed to notch up centuries in an IPL final -- Shane Watson’s unbeaten 117* in 2017 and Wriddhiman Saha’s unbeaten 115 in 2014. Sai Sudharsan came close to becoming the third in 2023 but was dismissed for 96.

Virat Kohli’s highest in the title clash is 54 runs off 35 balls which came against SRH in 2016.

The RCB talisman became the first batter to haul 600 runs or more in four seasons. He currently has 600 runs from 15 innings, which makes it his sixth-highest runs tally across his career.

A century in the final will help him breach the 700-run mark, a feat he has managed only twice in 18 years in the IPL.

The traditional approach for big finals is to win the toss, bat first and try to pile on the runs. That worked for RCB last year at this venue, where it beat PBKS by 6 runs.

However, out of the three IPL finals played in Ahmedabad till date, two have been won by chasing teams. 

In seven games at the Narendra Modi Stadium this year, pacers have 77 wickets at an average of 22.84 and an economy of under nine per over. Spinners have been used sparingly and have just 22 wickets.

Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Jason Holder have been crucial in winning games for their side, and share 63 wickets between them so far. Even Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood in the opposite camp will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of bowling at the venue.

Like the previous season, the bulk of the job for GT has been done by its opening pair. They have added 886 runs in 15 innings and are just 26 runs away from toppling their tally from 2025.

In the first qualifier, they were sent packing early and GT was invariably bundled out for a paltry total.

For the last eight seasons, the winner of Qualifier 1 has gone on to win the trophy. The last time we witnessed a team that did not win Qualifier 1 go all the way was Mumbai Indians way back in the 2017 season. 

Going by this trend, RCB are firm favourities to win its second straight title. 

Or can GT, who were comprehensively beaten by RCB in Qualifier 1, buckle that trend and rewrite history? 

The IPL 2026 Final was initially scheduled for the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, but shifted to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad due to logistical reasons. 

GT has a superb record at its home venue, and it will hope to make use of that advantage tonight.

Having won the title in 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to become only the third team to win consecutive IPL titles.

Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019 and 2020) are the only other teams to do so.

Kagiso Rabada and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been jostling for top spot in the Purple Cap standings so far this season.

Heading into the final, Rabada leads Bhuvneshwar by two wickets (28 to 26), and will be keen to extend that lead tonight.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is currently in the lead in the race for the Orange Cap with 776 runs from 16 innings. 

However, Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan are in hot pursuit with 722 and 710 runs respectively. Can either of them catch him tonight?

RCB and GT have played thrice this season already, and so far it is the side from Bengaluru that has the upper hand 2-1. It won the first meeting between the teams by five wickets in Bengaluru, before GT struck back to take the second in Ahmedabad.

RCB then moved ahead with a thumping victory in Qualifier 1.

Hello, and welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the IPL 2026 Final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans!

After 73 matches over two months, it all comes down to this. Who will secure their second IPL trophy tonight? Stay with us to find out.