Royal Challengers Bengaluru Triumph Again in IPL 2026
RCB Clinches Second Consecutive IPL Title
Mithun Manhas, the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), commended the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their impressive performance after they secured their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title. RCB achieved this feat by defeating the Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets during the final match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
With this victory, RCB joins the ranks of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) as the only teams to successfully defend their IPL title. After limiting GT to a score of 155/8 in their innings, RCB chased down the target with five wickets in hand and two overs to spare.
BCCI President's Remarks on RCB's Performance
In a press conference, Mithun Manhas expressed his admiration for RCB's consistent performance over the last two seasons. He stated, "They have been playing some excellent cricket lately, and as a team, they are performing exceptionally well." Manhas also highlighted the IPL's appeal, describing it as an exciting tournament and expressing optimism for its future growth. He remarked, "It's a fantastic tournament. Watching it has been a lot of fun, and we hope it continues to elevate to even higher standards."
Recognition for Young Talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Manhas also took the opportunity to commend Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a young batter from Rajasthan Royals (RR), labeling him a "great talent" for his outstanding performance throughout the season. The 15-year-old from Bihar emerged as the highest run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 776 runs at an impressive strike rate of 237.30.
At just 15 years and 65 days, Sooryavanshi made history as the youngest player to win the Orange Cap in IPL history, surpassing the previous record held by Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans, who won it at 23 years and 231 days in 2025. Manhas praised Sooryavanshi, stating, "We all recognize his talent, and he performed exceptionally well this season."
Summary of the IPL 2026 Final Match
In the IPL 2026 final, GT batted first and managed to score only 155 runs for 8 wickets in their 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's innings began strongly with a partnership of 62 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (32 runs off 16 balls) and Virat Kohli. Although GT fought back and reduced RCB to 132/5, Virat Kohli's unbeaten 75 runs off 42 balls led RCB to victory with two overs remaining.
This win marks RCB's second IPL title and their fourth overall in Indian franchise cricket, which includes two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.