Royal Challengers Bengaluru stood tall once again, champions for the second consecutive year. RCB defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in Sunday night’s grand finale, writing their name alongside Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the only franchises in the tournament’s history to successfully retain the IPL crown. For a club that spent nearly two decades waiting for its first title, winning back-to-back championships is nothing short of a transformation in identity,  from perennial also-rans to genuine titans of the sport.

RCB’s openers Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer came out swinging, putting on a brisk fifty-run stand in under four overs: the quickest team half-century in an IPL Final in the tournament’s history. Iyer fell after a 16-ball blitz for 32, but Kohli, ever composed and ever dangerous, kept his foot firmly on the accelerator.

Spin wizard Rashid Khan briefly threatened RCB’s momentum with two quick strikes in the ninth over, leaving the team tottering at 91 for 4. But Kohli stroked his way to a half-century in just 25 deliveries, the fastest fifty of his entire IPL career and guided his side over the line in the 18th over, finishing undefeated on 75 off 42 balls. 

Batting first, Gujarat Titans found the going tough against a disciplined RCB attack. Shubman Gill was dismissed early for just 10 by Josh Hazlewood, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent back Sai Sudharsan. A brief stabilisation from Nishant Sindhu and Jos Buttler offered hope, but it evaporated quickly. It was Washington Sundar who salvaged some dignity with a measured 50 not out off 37 balls, though GT’s final total of 155 for 8 always looked short on a flat Ahmedabad surface. Rasikh Salam was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 27 runs, with Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar adding two each.

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