Virat Kohli produced one of the defining innings of his Twenty20 career as Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night, becoming the first franchise to retain the Indian Premier League title since Chennai Super Kings in 2011.
Chasing 181 in front of 132,000 spectators, Kohli walked off unbeaten on 75 from 49 balls, his fifty raised with a flicked six over deep square leg off Mohammed Siraj — the bowler he replaced as Bengaluru’s totemic figure more than a decade ago. Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 28 from 14 deliveries saw the holders home with seven balls to spare, sparking scenes of red and gold across a stadium that had been built for a Gujarat coronation.
It is Bengaluru’s third title in four seasons, and a second under head coach Andy Flower, whose appointment in 2024 ended a 17-year wait for the franchise’s maiden trophy. For Kohli, who turned 37 last November and retired from T20 internationals after the 2024 World Cup, it is a ninth IPL trophy contested and a second lifted — the long, mocked pursuit now replaced by a sustained dynasty.
Kohli’s masterclass under the lights
Gujarat’s 180 for 6, built on Shubman Gill’s 62 and a late cameo of 34 from 17 by Rahul Tewatia, had felt par on a pitch that gripped under lights. When Phil Salt edged Mohammed Shami behind in the second over, the chase wobbled at 18 for 1. Kohli responded by absorbing 14 balls for just nine runs, then accelerated against the seamers in the powerplay’s final over, taking 17 from Prasidh Krishna.
His innings was a study in pace manipulation. Against Rashid Khan, who finished with 1 for 24 from his four overs, Kohli refused the slog, content to milk singles into the wider parts of the ground. The match’s pivotal sequence came in the 16th over, when he struck Siraj for consecutive boundaries — a punched cover drive followed by the leg-side six — to shift the required rate below a run a ball for the first time.
“I have said it before — this team is family,” Kohli said after collecting his second Player of the Final award. “To do this in front of these fans, in this stadium, against this opposition — it doesn’t get sweeter. Andy has built something here that has a chance to last.”
A defeat that will sting Gujarat
For Gujarat Titans, beaten finalists in 2023 and now again in 2026, the loss extends a troubling pattern. Hardik Pandya’s side topped the league table for a third time in five seasons but have only one trophy — their inaugural 2022 win — to show for the consistency. Pandya, returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the qualifier, managed only 12 from 11 deliveries and conceded 38 in his three overs.
Gujarat will also confront awkward selection questions. Sai Sudharsan, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 712, was dismissed for nine, caught at deep midwicket attempting to clear the rope against Yash Dayal. Their decision to bowl Rashid out by the 17th over — leaving Krishna and Siraj to defend 41 from the final three — drew immediate criticism from former captain Rohit Sharma on the host broadcast.
- Kohli is now the IPL’s all-time leading run-scorer with 8,944, more than 1,200 clear of Shikhar Dhawan in second.
- Bengaluru join Chennai Super Kings (2010-11), Mumbai Indians (2019-20) and Kolkata Knight Riders (2012, 2014) as the only multi-title franchises in IPL history.
- The final’s reported global broadcast reach of 620 million viewers was a 14 per cent increase on 2025, according to JioStar figures released on Monday morning.
What back-to-back means for the dynasty question
Successive titles change the conversation around this Bengaluru side. The squad assembled by director of cricket Mo Bobat, with Flower’s input, has a clear identity: a top order built around Kohli and Salt, middle-order power from Jitesh and Liam Livingstone, and a bowling attack that leans on Josh Hazlewood’s new-ball control and Krunal Pandya’s left-arm spin through the middle overs. Seven of the starting eleven on Sunday were also in the 2025 final XI.
The challenge now is retention. With the next mega-auction scheduled for 2027, Bengaluru will have only six pre-auction retention slots. Hazlewood’s availability has already been questioned by Cricket Australia ahead of an Ashes year, and Salt’s England commitments will limit him to roughly nine matches in 2027.
Kohli, asked whether he would extend his career to chase a third consecutive title, offered no firm answer. “I’ll go home, sit with my family, and think about it,” he said. “But standing here with this trophy, after the last few years — I’m not sure I’d want to walk away from this dressing room just yet.”
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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