Royal Challengers Bengaluru Secures Spot in IPL 2026 Final with Dominant Victory

RCB's Impressive Journey to the Final

Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has made history by becoming the first team to reach the IPL 2026 final, following a commanding 92-run victory over the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the first Qualifier. Patidar showcased his skills with an outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 93 runs off just 33 deliveries, helping RCB set a formidable total of 254/5. The Titans struggled throughout the chase and were ultimately bowled out for 162 runs. With this achievement, Patidar joins an elite group of captains, becoming the fifth to lead his team to consecutive IPL finals.

Rajat Patidar's Leadership

Rajat Patidar has made a significant impact as RCB's captain, taking over from Faf du Plessis prior to the IPL 2025 season. In his inaugural season as captain, he ended the franchise's 18-year wait for a title by leading RCB to victory against the Punjab Kings in the final. In 2026, RCB topped the points table and secured their place in the final by defeating the Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier.

MS Dhoni stands out as the only captain to have achieved this milestone multiple times. Under his guidance, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reached the finals in 2010 (champions), 2011 (champions), 2012, and 2013. CSK claimed the trophy again in 2018, but faced a narrow defeat against the Mumbai Indians in the 2019 final. Since IPL 2020, CSK's performance has seen a decline.

Rohit Sharma led the Mumbai Indians (MI) to a remarkable era of success from 2013 to 2023, securing five IPL titles. MI achieved back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020 but has not reached the finals since then. Hardik Pandya took over as MI's captain ahead of IPL 2024.

Shreyas Iyer has the unique distinction of leading two different teams to the finals in consecutive seasons. He guided the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to victory in 2024 but was released before the IPL 2025 mega-auction. Iyer then joined the Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a record Rs 26.75 crore and led them to their first final in 11 years, where they faced a heartbreaking loss to RCB.

Hardik Pandya's appointment as captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in their debut IPL season in 2022 surprised many. He led the team to a championship win in his first season but faced defeat against CSK in a thrilling final in IPL 2023. Pandya returned to MI as captain before IPL 2024.