RCB Clinches Second Consecutive IPL Title: A Historic Victory
RCB Celebrates Back-to-Back IPL Triumph
The cricket community has come together to celebrate the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for winning their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title. Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar remarked that RCB's challenge now lies not in proving their capability but in maintaining their success. After enduring 17 years of ups and downs, RCB finally tasted victory again, becoming the third team, alongside Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), to successfully defend their IPL title. They achieved this by defeating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in a match held at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
On social media platform X, Sachin expressed his congratulations, stating, "Kudos to @RCBTweets for clinching consecutive @IPL titles. In sports, success alters the questions you face. After your first win, the focus shifts from proving you can win to demonstrating you can sustain that success. RCB rose to that challenge impressively this season. A well-deserved accomplishment!"
Reactions from the Cricketing World
Rajeev Shukla, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), praised RCB and highlighted star player Virat Kohli's performance, stating, "Congratulations to @RCBTweets and Rajat Patidar for winning IPL 2026 and becoming back-to-back champions. Virat Kohli displayed immense class on the big stage. This victory is a testament to consistency, character, and exceptional teamwork throughout the season."
Former RCB captain Faf Du Plessis congratulated the team, saying he had predicted their success before the IPL began. He remarked, "Wow. Called it before the IPL... back-to-back champions!!! Congratulations to @imVkohli, @rrjjt_01, Mo Bobat, Andy Flower, and the entire @RCBTweets team. From day one, this looked like the most complete team in the competition. Consistent, clinical, and deserving champions. Enjoy the celebrations, Bengaluru!"
Even RCB's rivals, CSK, acknowledged their achievement, welcoming them to the exclusive club of teams that have won consecutive IPL titles. CSK tweeted, "Winning back-to-back is always a special feeling. Congrats @RCBTweets and welcome to the club #IPL2026."
Former RCB player AB de Villiers shared his excitement, stating, "Ee Saala... 2x Naamdu #RCB". Irfan Pathan, a former Indian all-rounder, noted how RCB's title drought ended last year, tweeting, "Sher ko khoon mooh lag gya hai. RCB RCB. Sher ko Khoon mooh lag Gaya hai. Champion." He also praised Virat's performance, comparing his adaptability to water changing shape in different containers.
Suresh Raina, a former CSK and Indian player, celebrated RCB's victory, saying, "Once was so nice, they did it twice. What a campaign by 'Attacking Champions' RCB. A near-perfect campaign, and the trophy is in the right hands of Captain Rajat Patidar. Special mention to Virat Kohli for that crucial knock."
Harbhajan Singh congratulated RCB, stating, "Big Congratulations RCB. Back to Back. Winning it in style. Domination continues. Well deserved, Chase Master Kohli."
Ian Bishop, a former West Indies pacer, referred to RCB as a "well-constructed team," while Shikhar Dhawan highlighted the significance of their back-to-back titles, noting that Rajat Patidar should be proud to join the ranks of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as captains with consecutive titles.
IPL 2026 Final: Match Overview
In the final match, RCB opted to bowl first, restricting the Gujarat Titans to 155 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs. Washington Sundar was the standout performer with the bat, scoring 50 runs off 37 balls, while Nishant Sindhu contributed 20 runs. RCB's bowlers, including Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29), and Josh Hazlewood (2/37), consistently took wickets.
RCB began their innings strongly with a 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer (32 runs off 16 balls) and Virat Kohli. Although GT fought back, reducing RCB to 132/5, Virat's unbeaten 75 runs off 42 balls guided RCB to victory with two overs remaining.
This marks RCB's second IPL title and their fourth overall in Indian franchise cricket, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.