GUWAHATI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retained their Indian Premier League title with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the final at Nehru Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday, May 31. Chasing 156, RCB reached 161/5 in 18 overs to lift their second consecutive IPL trophy and become back-to-back champions.
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Virat Kohli led the successful chase with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, striking nine fours and three sixes, while Jitesh Sharma remained unbeaten on 11 as Bengaluru crossed the finish line with 12 balls to spare. Venkatesh Iyer set the tone early with a blistering 32 off 16 deliveries, giving RCB the perfect platform in the title clash.
After winning the toss, RCB opted to bowl and restricted Gujarat Titans to 155/8. The Titans stumbled early, losing captain Shubman Gill for 10 and Sai Sudharsan for 12 inside the first four overs.
Washington Sundar led the recovery with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, while Nishant Sindhu scored 20 and Arshad Khan chipped in with a quick 15 off six deliveries. Jos Buttler made 19 before being stumped by Jitesh Sharma off Krunal Pandya.
Rasikh Salam starred with the ball for RCB, claiming three wickets, while Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up two apiece.
In reply, Venkatesh Iyer gave Bengaluru a flying start with 32 off 16 balls. Gujarat fought back through Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan, who helped reduce RCB to 91/4. However, Kohli steadied the chase and combined with Tim David (24) to put the defending champions back on track.
Kohli then ensured there were no late setbacks, guiding RCB home alongside Jitesh Sharma to secure the franchise's second successive IPL title and complete another dominant campaign.