Virat Kohli once again delivered on the biggest stage, smashing the fastest half-century of his Indian Premier League career to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling five-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Chasing a modest target of 156, Bengaluru came out with full aggressive intent from the very first over. Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, opening the innings for the Royals, took charge of the case and dismantled the Gujarat bowling attack with a combination of precision adn power. The former RCB captain reached his fifty in just 25 balls, the quickest half-century of his IPL career and one of the fastest ever to be scored in an IPL final.
Kohli’s innings proved to be decisive as RCB maintained control of the chase despite a brief middle wobble. He remained unbeaten on 75 and anchored the innings expertly, making sure that the defending champions coerced the dinish line with two overs to spare. His knock also made his 68th IPL fifty and 650-plus run season, further strengthening his status as one of the greatest performers of the league.
Earlier in the match, the Gujarat Titans struggled to build momentum after losing key early wickets of Sai Sudharsan and their captain, Shubham Gill, who were the leading scorers for them through the whole tournament. Washington Sundar fought back with a valuable half-century, helping GT post a respectable total of 155/8.
This victory for RCB makes sure of back-to-back IPL titles for them, making them only the third franchise after the Mumbai indians and Chennai Super Kings to successfully defend the championship. For Kohli, it was another unforgettable chapter in his already legendary IPL career.
