RCB captain Rajat Patidar expressed delight after leading the side to their second consecutive IPL title, defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the 2026 final. RCB is now the third team to successfully defend an IPL crown.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar expressed delight, saying he “feels superb” after leading the side to their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title win as they defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final of the 2026 season, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
RCB became only the third side after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) to defend their IPL crown successfully. The Patidar-led side, after restricting GT to 155/8 in the first innings, chased the target down with five wickets and two overs remaining.
Speaking after RCB’s win, Rajat Patidar said the victory felt “superb.” He credited clear planning and highlighted that chasing after winning the toss worked well for the team. He praised the consistent performances of the bowling unit, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma, and Romario Shepherd throughout the season. Notably, RCB’s bowling has been one of the biggest reasons for their 2026 IPL season win as they have performed consistently throughout the season. While Bhuvneshwar ended the season with 28 wickets, Rasikh claimed 19 wickets. Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood has also taken 15 wickets in the IPL 2026 season, while Krunal Pandya managed 14 wickets.
‘I never dreamt of becoming the captain’: Patidar
Patidar also said captaining RCB and lifting the trophy was beyond his dreams, acknowledging his confidence boost from last season, the strong support of fans, and valuable inputs from batting coach and mentor, Dinesh Karthik. He added that Virat Kohli remained a constant presence for the team, dedicating the win to the fans.
“It feels superb. When we came here there was a lot of memories of last year. I don’t have words to express but feeling very good. It was clear planning. When we win the toss, it was easy to chase. The way Bhuvi, Hazlewood, Rasikh, KP, Suyash and Shepherd, they bowled really well throughout the tournament,” Rajat Patidar said during the post-match presentations.
“I never dreamt of becoming the captain of RCB and lifting the trophy. I think it was written. Grateful for that. We were slightly more confident than last year. Everywhere it felt like a home ground for us with the fans coming in. The pre tournament prep was very good for me. I tried to analyze which shots are good for me. I got so many inputs from DK, which were helpful for me. He (Virat Kohli) is always there for the team. This one is for you again, RCB fans. Ee Sala nu Cup Namdu,” he added.
IPL 2026 Final Match Summary
Coming to the final clash, put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only one to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly.
RCB started off well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli. GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left.This is RCB’s second IPL title win and overall their fourth Indian franchise cricket trophy, including two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles.
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