Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured the Indian Premier League championship on Sunday, defeating the Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. RCB chased down Gujarat’s score of 155/8 by finishing at 161/5 with two overs to spare.
The victory secures a rare feat for the franchise in front of a packed Ahmedabad crowd. Royal Challengers Bengaluru became only the third franchise in league history to successfully defend their crown in back-to-back seasons, according to India Today. The club now matches the consecutive title runs previously achieved only by the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl, a plan that paid off as their seamers hit tough lengths on a sluggish pitch. Rasikh Salam Dar tore through the Gujarat top order to finish with 3/27, while veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Australian quick Josh Hazlewood picked up two wickets apiece. Gujarat captain Shubman Gill fell for just 10 runs, and Sai Sudharsan managed 12 before walking back. Washington Sundar provided the only resistance for Gujarat, striking an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls to push his team to 155.
The run chase belonged to Virat Kohli, who opened the innings with clinical precision. Kohli hit nine boundaries and three sixes during his match-winning 75 not out off 42 deliveries. Venkatesh Iyer added a quick 32 off 16 balls to keep the momentum going despite carrying visible knee discomfort.
Kohli received the Player of the Match honors for anchoring the chase. During the post-game ceremonies, league officials named tournament breakout star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the Emerging Player and Super Striker of the Season.