IPL 2026 Final Live, RCB vs GT: Virat Kohli powers Bengaluru to consecutive IPL titles

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bags four awards. Virat Kohli bags the player of the match of the final.

Award	Winner	Stats	Prize Money (INR)
Orange Cap (most runs)	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)	776 runs (1 hundred & 5 fifties)	10 Lakh
Purple Cap (most wickets)	Kagiso Rabada (GT)	29 wickets	10 Lakh
Super Sixes of the Season (most 6s)	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)	72 sixes in 16 matches	10 Lakh
On-the-Go 4s of the Season (most 4s)	Sai Sudharsan (GT)	75 fours in 17 matches	10 lakh
Most Valuable Player (MVP)	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)	776 runs	15 Lakh
Player of the Final	Virat Kohli (RCB)	75 off 42	1 lakh
Emerging Player of the Year	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)		10 Lakh
Highest strike rate of the season (minimum 100 balls)	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)	237.30 (776 runs)	10 Lakh & Tata Sierra car
Best Catch of the Season	Manish Pandey (KKR vs RCB)	N/A	10 Lakh
Fair Play Award	Punjab Kings	140 points in 14 matches	N/A
Most dot balls	Mohammed Siraj (GT)	172 in 17 matches	10 Lakh

The winning moment of IPL 2026 final as Virat Kohli hit a six against Arshad Khan to finish things off in style.

Virat finishes off in style. 🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/WVOqA0Bket

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 31, 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru were branded chokers. They had to wait for 18 years to taste IPL success. Now, they are the new dynasty. RCB Women's team retained their WPL trophy, and their men's team have done just that. RCB beat Gujarat Titans in the final by 5 wickets to defend their title. Only Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020) and Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011) defended their titles. Virat Kohli carries his bat and sees his team lift another title. RCB's pace attack set the stage, restricting GT to just 155/8. Venkatesh Iyer and Kohli ensured there was no early hiccup. While GT made a comeback in the middle-overs, Kohli ensured the chase was smooth with an unbeaten 42-ball 75-run knock.

Virat Kohli was struggling with his leg muscle and he was in a hurry to finish things off. Kohli tried to hit Arshad Khan over the covers but mistimed and did not get the elevation. Shubman Gill dived to take the catch. The umpires had to review the catch to see if Shubman's fingers were under the ball. They found that the ball did touch the grass and Gill did not have his fingers underneath the ball. Virat Kohli survives.

One cannot say, Gill has the best decision-making on the field. How on earth do you get Prasidh Krishna only in the 15th over? What is it, that he can do now?Another over ends, and RCB are 17 away.

Tim David is making his way back to the pavilion. He edges one from Arshad Khan, and he has to go for 24 from 17. But Bengaluru are in a comfortable situation here.

After a couple of overs of lull, RCB are in contention to finish off the match early. A six by David, and Rashid Khan won't be a happy man.

A four through the leg side, and Kohli has brought his 50 in only 25 deliveries, his fastest ever. He is taking his side close to second consecutive title.

Runs is not an issue for Bengaluru, but they need to be very careful of losing further wickets. One can sense the pressure of IPL final, even though the target is quite modest. Another over comes to an end.

Rashid comes into the attack, and he has a wicket straightaway. Patidar is tempted into playing a shot, and he is caught in the boundary by Jason Holder. There was no need for this shot at all. And another one comes here. Pitched up, Krunal goes for a slog sweep, misses it and it out LBW.

IN the last eight editions of the IPL, the side winning the qualifier 1, goes on to win the championship too. And there is a possibility, history might repeat itself again. RCB are 88/2 in 8 overs.

Is there a twist in the tale here, as GT manage to get back-to-back wickets. Banged in short and Padikkal tries to cut hard. The result is, he is caught on the square boundary by Arshad. Kohli hooks for a six, to end the over.

Iyer is dismissed for 32 from 16 by Siraj; he was literally playing on one leg. Mistimes one and the ball goes into the hands of Rabada. A short one works for the GT bowler. Iyer has done his job though.

GT need to get a few wickets as soon as possible, or this match could be soon over. Kohli is in some serious form, as he flicks Rabada for a six now. Going at the speed knots. Nothing seems to be working for the hosts.

Siraj starts a fresh over, strays on the pads, and that is Kohli's strong area. He flicks it hard to the boundary. Then a short one outside off followed and now a pull goes to the boundary. Too easy for RCB now. Venky Iyer ends with a four too.

Gill would hope that Rabada would get him a few wickets, as he starts his spell. But Iyer hits him for a four. Add a six and a four to that, and Benglauru are doing it in some style. An expensive over ends here.

It is Mohammed Siraj who comes on for the first over. Slight break here as it seems, there is some issue with Venky Iyer's leg. He is in pain. But finally the over comes to an end.

The ceremony is almost over, and RCB openers Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer are ready. Kagiso Rabada has the ball in his hands. Bengaluru should be the more confident team coming into the chase.

The closing ceremony, featuring Kailash Kher, begins. It is a mid-innings show instead of a full-fledged closing ceremony before the match.

Gujarat Titans end with 155/8 in the final. In the league stage, RCB were bowled out for 155 and GT chased down the target in 15.5 overs. RCB now need to chase the target down to become only the second team to win consecutive IPL titles. Washington Sundar did well with 50 off 37, but others failed miserably. If RCB win, they will join Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020) and Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011) to become only the third team to defend their title.

Washington Sundar gets his third half-century of IPL 2026. He gets to the mark off 37 balls. But he has waged a lone battle after he got a lifeline on 4. This is his best IPL season with the bat, scoring 350+ runs.

Rashikh Salam Dar gets his 3rd wicket, as Rashid Khan pulls a short ball and gives away dolly to Romario Shepherd. Washington Sundar is stuck on the non-striker's end for now.

Gujarat lose Jason Holder as he gives away a top-edge on a short delivery by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Holder departs for 7 and GT are 143/7

Washington Sundar moves to 40s with two boundaries against Josh Hazlewood's final over. In the last five overs, GT have scored 54/2 with a late surge, but it's too late. Hazlewood finishes his spell with 2/37, conceding 16 runs in his final over.

Rasikh Salam Dar gets his 2nd wicket and it's Rahul Tewatia who departs. Rasikh bowled a knuckle ball and as Tewatia tried to take that on, he mistimed, giving away catch to Rajat Patidar. GT are 6 down.

Just five overs left and Gujarat Titans are nowhere close to a safe total. They have scored just 105/5, with Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia on crease. And they need boundaries, a lot of them. Sundar is going at a snell's pace of 109.52.

As soon as Arshad Khan looked threatening, Rajat Patidar called up Josh Hazlewood. And he immediately delivered a wicket. A hard length and Arshad just tried to whack it, but the ball got a top edge instead and ended safely in Rasikh Salam's hands. GT are 5 down for 99.

Arshad Khan was promoted with the idea of dismantling the RCB bowling attack. He has done a pretty convincing job in his first over. He takes on Jacob Duffy for a six after Washington Sundar hit him for two fours. Duffy ends his spell with 0/38, conceding 16 runs in his final over.

Gujarat's trouble deepens as Jos Buttler departs. Krunal Pandya outsmarted Buttler, bowling a wide line. Krunal saw him coming down the track and bowled a wide line. Buttler missed the ball and Jitesh Sharma made no mistake in removing the stumps. Buttler departs for 19. GT 74/4 in 12.2 overs.

Jacob Duffy is denied a wicket, and Washington Sundar survives. Jordon Cox took the catch but he did not have fingers underneath the ball. Instead, the ball was caught between the fingers. After a review, it was not given out. Gujarat score 63/3 in 10 overs at 6.3 run rate. GT's last two scorers are on the crease. And the onus of scoring the bulk of runs will be on Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar. GT need at least 110 more in the last 10 overs. 

Gujarat Titans lose their third wicket, and they are in further trouble. Rasikh Salam bowled short and Sindh tried to pull that, but Devdutt Padikkal did not have to move an inch as he took an easy catch. GT 55/3 in 8.

It's Bengaluru's powerplay. Their pacers have sent GT's two openers back. Those two openers were responsible for 50% of their runs in IPL 2026. With Jos Buttler and Nishant Sindhu on crease, they have to rescue the innings and then push for runs. But GT's middle-order, barring Washington Sundar, haven't had their best of times on the crease. Gujarat end the powerplay with 45/2.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes and Sai Sudharsan is the latest to depart. These two batters have scored 50% of GT's runs this season, and both are back in the hut by 4th over. Bhuvneshwar bowled another bouncer and Sai did not expect that. He was late to react and as he tried to pull, he got a top-edge. Jitesh Sharma ran a few yards to take the catch. GT are in big trouble.

Shubman Gill had a poor match-up against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But he hit him for two boundaries. He had a good match-up against Josh Hazlewood but the Australian won. Rajat Patidar took an easy catch at mid-off after Gill mishit the delivery. Gill departs for 10 off 8 and GT lose their first wicket for 22.

First over drama as Sai Sudharsan hits Jacob Duffy for two consecutive boundaries, including a cover drive. On the fourth delivery, Duffy bowled a short ball on the leg side, and as Sai tried to pull, he missed. RCB appealed, and it was given out. But Sai took the review immediately and the replays showed there was no edge whatsoever.

It's time for the national anthems and then, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will begin for Gujarat Titans. These two are the most consistent opening pair in the IPL with 11+ century stands. They added 167-run opening stand against RR in the Qualifier 2. And they will be crucial if GT have to win today. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have to break the stand in the powerplay.

Gujarat Titans have made one change, dropping Sai Kishore for Arshad Khan. Kishore came on as an Impact sub in the last game but he did not bowl even a single delivery. Prasidh Krishna is set to come in as the Impact sub when they bowl.

Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Holder, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj

Impact player option: Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are going unchanged. Venkatesh Iyer keeps his place instead of a recovering Phil Salt. Jacob Duffy also stays on with no place for Suyash Sharma. Krunal Pandya will be the sole spinner for RCB. 

Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Jacob Duffy, Rasikh Salam

Impact player option: Venkatesh Iyer, Kanishk Chohan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

The coin goes up one final time and RCB captain Rajat Patidar wins the toss and opts to bowl first in the IPL 2026 final. Shubman Gill is happy to bat first and they have made one change, dropping Sai Kishore for Arshad Khan. RCB are going unchanged, meaning there is no Phil Salt and Venkatesh Iyer will open with Virat Kohli.

While the Gujarat Titans hold the ultimate momentum following Shubman Gill’s jaw-dropping century in Qualifier 2 and possess a distinct home-ground advantage, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter the final as paper-thin favorites. Check out the full prediction here.

There is no sign of the closing ceremony beginning any time soon as we approach close to the toss time in the IPL 2026 final between GT and RCB. It could be the case that the ceremony will be held during the innings break. We wait for an official word from the broadcasters.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad as they chase their second consecutive IPL title. RCB are on the cusp of history, and can become just the third side to win two consecutive IPL trophies. Can Rajat Patidar create history for the side on Sunday?

VIDEO | Ahmedabad: IPL 2026 final: Defending champions RCB arrive at Narendra Modi Stadium for final clash vs GT.

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/eaYMfyDzXK

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 31, 2026

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag feels there is a 50-50 chance for both RCB and GT to lay their hands on their 2nd IPL trophy. 

Team	Titles Won	Winning Years
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)	5	2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023
Mumbai Indians (MI)	5	2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)	3	2012, 2014, 2024
Rajasthan Royals (RR)	1	2008
Deccan Chargers (DC) (Defunct)	1	2009
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)	1	2016
Gujarat Titans (GT)	1	2022
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)	1	2025

Who will be the Player of the Match in IPL 2026 final? 🤔🏆#RCBvGT #IPL2026 #IPLFinal #IPL #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/GAGXFkkXY5

— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) May 31, 2026

BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla expects a balanced contest in the IPL 2026 final between RCB and GT. "Today is the final match, IPL is in its final phase and I think whichever team plays well will win today...it will be a very interesting contest and both teams are very good...today we will get to see a very good match," Shukla said. 

#WATCH Ahmedabad, Gujarat: On the IPL 2026 final match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, BCCI Vice-President and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla says, "Today is the final match, IPL is in its final phase and I think whichever team plays well will win today...it… pic.twitter.com/ltSQpkryO6

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2026

The closing ceremony of IPL 2026 is expected to bring a vibrant mix of music and celebration, with a drone show before the summit clash begins. The performances will commence from 6:00 pm onwards. Key performers include Kailash Kher, Arvind Vegda’s ‘Rock Zone’ among others. Read more details about the IPL 2026 closing ceremony here.

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A post shared by Arvind Vegda (@arvind_vegda)

The excitement for the IPL 2026 final between GT and RCB is peaking, with fans queing outside the Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of the marquee clash. A huge amount of security are present at the venue before the start of the contest. 

#WATCH | Gujarat | Outside visuals from Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, where Gujarat Titans will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League 2026 final today pic.twitter.com/MRduBLZEMe

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2026

Gujarat Titans’ season has been shaped by their top 3 batters, but more importantly, their bowling attack, led by Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan. Shubman Gill (722), Sai Sudharsan (710) and Jos Buttler (507) have scored 66% of GT’s runs this season. Add Washington Sundar’s 322 runs this season, and those four players have scored 77% of the runs. GT are heavily dependent on them scoring runs. Gill scored a century in Qualifier 2 win. Both Gill and Sai would be crucial as they have an excellent record at the Narendra Modi Stadium. 

In bowling, it is diversified. Kagiso Rabada leads the pack with 28 wickets. But the rest are not far behind. Rashid Khan (19), Mohd Siraj (18), Jason Holder (17) and Prasidh Krishna (16) have all contributed equally. All GT need in the IPL 2026 final is to have an equal contribution, and they would be a difficult team to beat. 

For the IPL 2026 final, Pitch No.6 will be in use. It is the same pitch on which GT trumped RCB in a low-scoring affair. RCB could only score 155, while GT chased that down easily in 15.5 overs. There is a little grass cover on the pitch, which will be trimmed down. But it will still assist seamers with a spell of rain expected around 6-7 PM. 

• Average 1st innings score: 186
• Average Run rate: 9.03
• Team batting first won: 4 of 7 (57%). 
• Toss winners won 3 of 7 (43%).

RCB's title defence has been built on depth and a settled bowling attack. The fact that RCB have retained a consistent match-day squad tells you the team is not the same as it was five years ago. RCB’s strength has been their core with diversity. They haven’t had to depend on one or two players to win matches. In 10 wins so far, RCB have had 8 different Players of the Match in their ten wins this season. 

Last final’s player of the match, Krunal Pandya, is one of only two players in IPL 2026 with 200-plus runs and 10-plus wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has 26 wickets, trails Rabada by two in the Purple Cap race, and has a strong record against Gill: 6 for 80 in 79 balls in the IPL. Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer and Padikkal give them form and experience at the top. With Salt still recovering from injury, Iyer is likely to get the nod at the top.

The data from seven IPL 2026 matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium tells a very different story from its run-soaked reputation. This has been one of the most balanced venues this season. Seamers have something to bowl at in the powerplay. This is the only venue where the average run rate in the powerplay (8.73) is lower than the middle overs (8.99) and the death overs (9.66). 

While most IPL 2026 grounds averaged 200-plus, this one has produced a 186 first-innings average, a 39.2% dot-ball rate, and nearly 15 wickets per match. Bowlers have had a real say here all year, which suits both these attacks.

The bat-first trend is worth noting. Unlike most venues this season, teams batting first have won 57% of games here, bucking the league-wide chasing pattern. The middle overs are where the wickets fall, 49 across seven games, one every 15.2 balls. That puts Rashid Khan and Krunal Pandya at the heart of the contest. 

This rivalry could hardly be more even. RCB are slightly ahead, winning five matches to GT’s 4, including the Qualifier 1. This season, these two sides have faced thrice, with RCB winning two, GT winning one at this venue. In Ahmedabad, GT and RCB have faced off only twice, with both splitting wins. RCB won the league match in 2024, while GT won the league match this season. 

• Matches Played: 9
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru won: 5
• Gujarat Titans won: 4