![]() Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2026 Indian Premier League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 5 wickets | |||||||
| Date | 31 May 2026 19:30 UTC+5:30 | ||||||
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | ||||||
| Player of the match | Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | ||||||
| Umpires | K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan (Ind) Nitin Menon (Ind) | ||||||
← 2025 2027 → | |||||||
The 2026 Indian Premier League final was a Twenty20 (T20) cricket match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, on 31 May 2026 to determine the winner of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for the final after winning the Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans; who went on to defeat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 to secure their place in the final.
Bengaluru won the toss and elected to field first; Gujarat scored 155/8 in their innings, which Bengaluru chased down in 18 overs scoring 161/5, to win their second IPL title and become the third team to win two consecutive IPL finals. They also became the first team to win the IPL and the Women's Premier League in the same year. A closing ceremony was held during the match's innings break. Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar dedicated the victory to the victims of the 2025 Bengaluru crowd crush.
Background[edit | edit source]
The 2026 Indian Premier League was the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).[1] The season commenced on 28 March[2] and consisted of 10 teams competing in 74 matches.[3][4][5] After the conclusion of the group stage, four teams advanced to the playoffs, which began on 26 May[6] and concluded with the final played on 31 May at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. This was the fourth IPL final held at that venue, after the 2022, 2023 and 2025 events.[7][8]
The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for their fifth IPL final. They were the fourth team to qualify for two consecutive IPL finals and had previously been runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016.[9][10] Their opponents were the Gujarat Titans, who qualified for their third IPL final: they were champions in 2022 and runners-up in 2023.[11] Both teams were competing for their second titles and had won their maiden titles at this same venue.[12]
Road to the final[edit | edit source]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru[edit | edit source]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their season with two wins against Sunrisers Hyderabad[15] and Chennai Super Kings.[16] They lost to Rajasthan Royals,[17] won against Mumbai Indians[18] and Lucknow Super Giants,[19] lost to Delhi Capitals,[20] and won against Gujarat[21] and Delhi.[22] Then they lost to Gujarat[23] and Lucknow,[24] won against Mumbai,[25] Kolkata Knight Riders[26] and Punjab Kings[27] and ended the group stage with a loss to Hyderabad.[28] With nine wins from 14 matches, they finished the league stage in first place and advanced to Qualifier 1 in the playoffs.[13][14] They defeated Gujarat in Qualifier 1, to advance to the final.[14][29]
Gujarat Titans[edit | edit source]
Gujarat Titans began their season with two losses against Punjab[30] and Rajasthan.[31] They won their next three matches against Delhi,[32] Lucknow[33] and Kolkata;[34] lost to Mumbai[35] and Bengaluru;[21] won against Chennai,[36] Bengaluru,[23] Punjab,[37] Rajasthan[38] and Hyderabad;[39] lost to Kolkata[40] and won against Chennai.[41] They also had nine wins from 14 matches, finishing the league stage in second place, behind Bengaluru on the tiebreaker (net run rate). They advanced to Qualifier 1 in the playoffs,[13][14] which they lost to Bengaluru.[29] However, Gujarat then defeated Rajasthan in Qualifier 2, to reach the final.[14][42]
Match[edit | edit source]
Match officials[edit | edit source]
The on-field umpires for the final were K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan and Nitin Menon, while the third umpire was Jayaraman Madanagopal. Virender Sharma was the reserve umpire and Javagal Srinath was the match referee. This was the first time in an IPL final that all five officials were Indian.[43][44]
Team and toss[edit | edit source]
Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field; he also stated that their team would be unchanged from their previous game while Gujarat's captain Shubman Gill stated that Arshad Khan would replace Sai Kishore in their team.[45]
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru:[46] Jacob Duffy (SUB), Venkatesh Iyer (IMP), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam
- Gujarat Titans:[46] Prasidh Krishna (IMP), Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Nishant Sindhu, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Rahul Tewatia (SUB), Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
(IMP) indicates an impact player and (SUB) indicates the player who was substituted.
| Team | Out | In |
|---|---|---|
| [[Template:IPL Teams 1]] | Jacob Duffy | Venkatesh Iyer |
| [[Template:IPL Teams 1]] | Rahul Tewatia | Prasidh Krishna |
Match scorecard[edit | edit source]
Gujarat Titans
155/8 (20 overs) |
v
|
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
161/5 (18 overs) |
Gujarat Titans innings[edit | edit source]
Put in to bat first, the Gujarat openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan were dismissed in the third and fourth overs, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood respectively. Washington Sundar scored 50 runs from 37 balls while Nishant Sindhu scored 20 runs from 18 balls. All the other Gujarat batters were dismissed for fewer than 20 runs; they ended their innings with a score of 155 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Rasikh Salam picked up three wickets for Bengaluru.[49][50][51]
| Template:IPL Teams 1 batting[52] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Sai Sudharsan | c †Jitesh b Kumar | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Shubman Gill | c Patidar b Hazlewood | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 125.00 | |
| Nishant Sindhu | c Padikkal b Rasikh | 20 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 111.11 | |
| Jos Buttler | st †Jitesh b Pandya | 19 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 82.60 | |
| Washington Sundar | not out | 50 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 135.13 | |
| Arshad Khan | c Rasikh b Hazlewood | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 250.00 | |
| Rahul Tewatia (SUB) | c Patidar b Rasikh | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 | |
| Jason Holder | c Hazlewood b Kumar | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 | |
| Rashid Khan | c Shepherd b Rasikh | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 233.33 | |
| Kagiso Rabada | not out | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Mohammed Siraj | did not bat | ||||||
| Extras | (lb 1, w 4) | 5 |
|||||
Total |
(8 wickets; 20 overs) |
155 | RR: 7.75 | ||||
Fall of wickets: 1–22 (Gill, 2.2 ov), 2–26 (Sudharsan, 3.4 ov), 3–55 (Sindhu, 7.6 ov), 4–73 (Buttler, 12.1 ov), 5–99 (Arshad Khan, 14.1 ov), 6–115 (Tewatia, 16.1 ov), 7–142 (Holder, 18.3 ov), 8–151 (Rashid Khan, 19.2 ov)
| Template:IPL Teams 1 bowling[52] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | |
| Jacob Duffy (SUB) | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 | |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 7.25 | |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 | |
| Rasikh Salam | 4 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 | |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 | |
Closing ceremony[edit | edit source]
A closing ceremony for the IPL season was held during the innings break of the final. It included a live musical performance from Kailash Kher, a laser light show, and a fireworks display.[53][54]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru innings[edit | edit source]

Chasing the target of 156, Bengaluru openers Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli shared an opening partnership of 62 runs before Iyer was dismissed for 32. Devdutt Padikkal and Krunal Pandya were dismissed for one run each, while Rajat Patidar made 15. The score was 91 for 4 after 8.5 overs, with Kohli still not out. The following batters Tim David and Jitesh Sharma contributed 24 and 11 runs respectively, while Kohli increased the run rate; he would finish with a strike rate of 178. Bengaluru reached a score of 161 runs for the loss of five wickets after 18 overs, passing the target and securing the title. Bowler Rashid Khan took two wickets for Gujarat,[49][50][51] while Kohli was the highest run-scorer with 75 runs not out from 42 balls and received the player of the match award.[55]
| Template:IPL Teams 1 batting[52] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Venkatesh Iyer (IMP) | c Rabada b Siraj | 32 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 200.00 | |
| Virat Kohli | not out | 75 | 42 | 9 | 3 | 178.57 | |
| Devdutt Padikkal | c Arshad b Rabada | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 | |
| Rajat Patidar | c Rabada b Rashid | 15 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 115.38 | |
| Krunal Pandya | lbw b Rashid | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | |
| Tim David | c †Buttler b Arshad | 24 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 141.17 | |
| Jitesh Sharma | not out | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 78.57 | |
| Romario Shepherd | did not bat | ||||||
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | did not bat | ||||||
| Josh Hazlewood | did not bat | ||||||
| Rasikh Salam | did not bat | ||||||
| Extras | (lb 1, w 1) | 2 |
|||||
Total |
(5 wickets; 18 overs) |
161 | RR: 8.94 | ||||
Fall of wickets: 1–62 (Iyer, 4.3 ov), 2–63 (Padikkal, 5.1 ov), 3–89 (Patidar, 8.2 ov), 4–91 (Krunal, 8.5 ov), 5–132 (David, 13.6 ov)
| Template:IPL Teams 1 bowling[52] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | |
| Mohammed Siraj | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 | |
| Kagiso Rabada | 3 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 14.66 | |
| Jason Holder | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 8.00 | |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 6.25 | |
| Arshad Khan | 4 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 | |
| Prasidh Krishna (IMP) | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 | |
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
Bengaluru became the third team to win two consecutive IPL finals after Chennai and Mumbai.[56] They also became the first team to win the IPL and the Women's Premier League in the same year, having won the women's tournament earlier in the year.[57] Bengaluru received ₹20 crore (US$2.8 million) and Gujarat received ₹12.5 crore (US$1.8 million) in prize money.[58] Bengaluru captain Patidar dedicated the victory to the victims of the crowd crush that occurred during last year's victory celebrations.[59]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Indian Premier League". Britannica.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ Gollapudi, Nagraj (11 March 2026). "RCB vs SRH to kick off IPL 2026 in Bengaluru on March 28". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ Gollapudi, Nagraj (26 March 2026). "Mumbai to face CSK and RCB twice as IPL releases full league stage schedule". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 27 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ Brar, Hemant (25 March 2026). "IPL 2026 FAQs: New venue, big trades, and the million dollar Thala question". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- ↑ "IPL 2026 Full Schedule Release: BCCI Confirms 74-Game Format". ABP Live. 23 March 2026. Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Schedule for TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs announced; Ahmedabad to Host Grand Finale". IPLT20.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Fatima, Uzma (6 May 2026). "Why BCCI Shifted IPL 2026 Final From Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad? Check Playoffs Venues And Schedule". The Sunday Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Aditya (6 May 2026). "BCCI announces schedule for IPL 2026 Playoffs: Bengaluru loses out; Ahmedabad gets fourth final". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Rajat Patidar Becomes 1st RCB & 5th Captain Overall To Qualify For Back-To-Back IPL Finals". News18. Archived from the original on 26 May 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ "Bengaluru roars into IPL final as Patidar powers 92-run win over Gujarat". The Washington Post. 26 May 2026. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
- ↑ "Gill ton steers Gujarat past Rajasthan into IPL final". Reuters. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
- ↑ "IPL winners list from 2008–2025: From RCB breaking jinx after 18 years to CSK's dominance with 10 finals". The Times of India. 10 April 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 7 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Template:Cricinfo 2/series-sub
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Template:Cricinfo 2/series-sub
- ↑ "RCB vs SRH Highlights, IPL 2026: Padikkal, Kohli fifties lead RCB to victory on opening night". Sportstar. 28 March 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "RCB vs CSK Highlights, IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru wins by 43 runs as Chennai Super Kings stumbles to third straight defeat". Sportstar. 5 April 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Sooryavanshi and Jurel make short work of RCB to make it four-in-four for RR". Cricinfo. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "Salt and Patidar power RCB past Mumbai Indians". Cricinfo. 13 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "RCB top the table after bowlers help thump LSG". Cricinfo. 15 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "Stubbs, Miller win DC a thriller against RCB". Cricinfo. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Highlights, IPL 2026: 'History-Maker' Virat Kohli Makes GT Pay For Blunder As RCB Chase Down 206". NDTV Sports. Archived from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "DC vs RCB Highlights, IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals Humiliated By RCB, Register Historic Low After 75 All Out; Virat Kohli Achieves All-Time Record". NDTV Sports. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 "GT vs RCB Highlights, IPL 2026: Shubman Gill Leads The Way As GT Secure Big Win; RCB Lose After Collapse". NDTV Sports. 30 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "RCB vs LSG Highlights, IPL 2026: Fiery Knocks From Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar Propel RCB To Big Win Over LSG". NDTV Sports. 15 April 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "RCB vs MI Highlights, IPL 2026: Krunal, Bhuveshwar help Royal Challengers Bengaluru cross the line in last ball thriller". Sportstar. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "RCB vs KKR Highlights, IPL 2026: Kohli's magnificent ton leads RCB back to the top of the table". Sportstar. 13 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "PBKS vs RCB IPL 2026, Highlights: Kohli, Venkatesh half-centuries help Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualify for Playoffs". Sportstar. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "SRH vs RCB Highlights, IPL 2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad beats Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs but fails to secure Top 2 finish". Sportstar. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Patidar leads the way as RCB storm into second straight final". Cricinfo. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "PBKS vs GT IPL 2026 Highlights: Connolly's 72 not out leads Punjab Kings to tense win over Gujarat Titans". Sportstar. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "GT vs RR Highlights, IPL 2026: Deshpande holds his nerve in final over as Rajasthan Royals wins thriller by six runs". Sportstar. 4 April 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "DC vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026: Miller, Rahul knocks in vain, Prasidh delivers when it matters as Gujarat Titans wins by one run". Sportstar. 8 April 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "LSG vs GT IPL 2026 Highlights: Buttler, Gill fifties lead Gujarat Titans to seven-wicket win". Sportstar. 12 April 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "GT vs KKR highlights, IPL 2026: Shubman Gill guides Gujarat Titans to five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders". Sportstar. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ "GT vs MI Highlights, IPL 2026: Tilak Varma's Record-Breaking 100 Helps MI Thrash Shubman Gill's GT, End Losing Streak". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Mookherjee, Roddur (26 April 2026). "CSK vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad's Unbeaten 74 In Vain As Sai Sudharsan Steers GT To Victory Over CSK". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ Krishnaswamy, Karthik (3 May 2026). "PBKS lose second in a row as GT pull off nervy win". Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Sensarma, Abhijato (9 May 2026). "Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rashid power GT to second spot with fourth straight win". Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Sensarma, Abhijato (12 May 2026). "GT go No. 1 after Rabada and Holder rout SRH". Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Krishnaswamy, Karthik (16 May 2026). "Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green and Narine thump GT to keep KKR alive". Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Kishore, Shashank (21 May 2026). "Gujarat Titans knock CSK out and seal top-two finish". Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
- ↑ "Gill 104 trumps Sooryavanshi 96 as GT enter IPL final". Cricinfo. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "In a first, all Indian umpires to officiate IPL final". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ "Final: RCB vs GT - Code of Conduct Breach". IPLT20.com. 1 June 2026. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "Why the IPL 2026 Final toss left both RCB and GT smiling in Ahmedabad". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 "Playing XI - GT vs RCB Final | Indian Premier League Squad". ESPNcricinfo. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ "IPL 2026 final: Virat Kohli's unbeaten 75 helps RCB beat Gujarat Titans to secure back-to-back titles". BBC Sport. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "RCB's back-to-back titles built on foundations set by IPL mega-auction". India Today. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 "RCB vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026 Final: Seamers, Kohli take RCB to second successive title". ESPNcricinfo. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 "RCB vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026 Final: Kohli's unbeaten 75 leads Royal Challengers Bengaluru to second title; Sooryavanshi sweeps major awards at final presentation ceremony". Sportstar. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 "Virat Kohli hits winning runs as Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain IPL title". The Guardian. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 "GT vs RCB Cricket Scorecard, Final at Ahmedabad, May 31, 2026". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Nishant, Shashwat (31 May 2026). "IPL 2026 closing ceremony: Performers, live time, streaming and telecast". Business Standard. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Chaturvedi, Shachi (1 June 2026). "Kailash Kher Performs Shiv Tandav At IPL 2026 Closing Ceremony; Varun, Pooja and Mrunal Enjoy Live Match". News18. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ "IPL 2026 Final — Virat Kohli wins Player of the Match for unbeaten 75". Sportstar. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrec-win - ↑ "How Much Money Did RCB, Gujarat Titans Win After IPL 2026 Final". NDTV Sports. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ Acharya, Shayan (1 June 2026). "Patidar dedicates RCB's IPL 2026 triumph to last year's stampede victims". Sportstar. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
