Wikipedia

2026 Indian Premier League final

The 2026 Indian Premier League final was a Twenty20 (T20) cricket match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, on 31 May 2026 to determine the winner of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). It was played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.

2026 Indian Premier League final
Match programme cover
Event2026 Indian Premier League
Gujarat Titans Royal Challengers Bengaluru
155/8 161/5
20 overs 18 overs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 5 wickets
Date31 May 2026 19:30 UTC+5:30
VenueNarendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Player of the matchVirat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
UmpiresK. N. Ananthapadmanabhan (Ind)
Nitin Menon (Ind)
← 2025
2027 →

Bengaluru won the toss and elected to field first; Gujarat scored 155/8 in their innings; which Bengaluru chased down in 18 overs scoring 161/5, to win their second IPL title and became the third team to win two consecutive IPL finals.

Background

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The 2026 Indian Premier League was the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).[1] The season commenced on 28 March[2] and consisted of 10 teams competing in 74 matches.[3][4][5] After conclusion of the group stage, four teams advanced to the playoffs, which began on 26 May[6] and concluded with the final played on 31 May at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. This was the fourth IPL final held at that venue, after the 2022, 2023 and 2025 events.[7][8]

The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for their fifth IPL final. They were the fourth team to qualify for two consecutive IPL finals, and had previously been runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016.[9][10] Their opponents were the Gujarat Titans, who qualified for their third IPL final: they were champions in 2022 and runners-up in 2023.[11] Both teams were competing for their second titles. Both teams had won their previous titles at this same venue.[12]

Road to the final

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Overview

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans
League stage
League progression[13]
Team Group matches Playoffs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Q1/E Q2 F
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2446881012121214161818WW
Gujarat Titans 00246668101214161618LWL
Win Loss No result
  • Note: The total points at the end of each group match are listed.
  • Note: Click on the points (group matches) or W/L (playoffs) to see the match summary.
OpponentDateResultPointsMatchOpponentDateResultPoints
Sunrisers Hyderabad28 March 2026Won2 1 Punjab Kings31 March 2026Lost0
Chennai Super Kings5 April 2026Won4 2 Rajasthan Royals4 April 2026Lost0
Rajasthan Royals10 April 2025Lost4 3 Delhi Capitals8 April 2026Won2
Mumbai Indians12 April 2026Won6 4 Lucknow Super Giants12 April 2026Won4
Lucknow Super Giants15 April 2026Won8 5 Kolkata Knight Riders17 April 2026Won6
Delhi Capitals18 April 2026Lost8 6 Mumbai Indians20 April 2026Lost6
Gujarat Titans24 April 2026Won10 7 Royal Challengers Bengaluru24 April 2026Lost6
Delhi Capitals27 April 2026Won12 8 Chennai Super Kings26 April 2026Won8
Gujarat Titans30 April 2026Lost12 9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru30 April 2026Won10
Lucknow Super Giants7 May 2026Lost12 10 Punjab Kings3 May 2026Won12
Mumbai Indians10 May 2026Won14 11 Rajasthan Royals9 May 2026Won14
Kolkata Knight Riders13 May 2026Won16 12 Sunrisers Hyderabad12 May 2026Won16
Punjab Kings17 May 2026Won18 13 Kolkata Knight Riders16 May 2026Lost16
Sunrisers Hyderabad22 May 2026Lost18 14 Chennai Super Kings21 May 2026Won18
Playoff stage
Qualifier 1Qualifier 2Final
26 May 2026 – Dharamshala31 May 2026 – Ahmedabad
1Royal Challengers Bengaluru254/5 (20 overs)Q1WRoyal Challengers Bengaluru161/5 (18 overs)
2Gujarat Titans162 (19.3 overs)29 May 2026 – MullanpurQ2WGujarat Titans155/8 (20 overs)
Q1LGujarat Titans219/3 (18.4 overs)
EliminatorEWRajasthan Royals214/6 (20 overs)
27 May 2026 – Mullanpur
3Sunrisers Hyderabad196 (19.2 overs)
4Rajasthan Royals243/8 (20 overs)
OpponentDateResultMatchOpponentDateResult
Gujarat Titans26 May 2026Won Q1/E Royal Challengers Bengaluru26 May 2026Lost
Qualified for the final Q2 Rajasthan Royals29 May 2026Won
2026 Indian Premier League final

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their season with two wins against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. They lost to Rajasthan Royals, won against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, lost to Delhi Capitals, and won against Gujarat and Delhi. Then they lost to Gujarat and Lucknow, won against Mumbai, Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings and ended the group stage with a loss to Hyderabad. With nine wins from 14 matches, they finished the league stage in first place, so advanced to the qualifier 1 match of the playoffs.[13][14] They defeated Gujarat in the qualifier 1 game, to advance to the final.[14]

Gujarat Titans

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Gujarat Titans began their season with two losses against Punjab and Rajasthan. They won their next three matches against Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata; lost to Mumbai and Bengaluru; won against Chennai, Bengaluru, Punjab, Rajasthan and Hyderabad; lost to Kolkata and won against Chennai. They also had nine wins from 14 matches, finishing the league stage in second place, behind Bengaluru on the tiebreaker (net run rate). They advanced to qualifier 1 in the playoffs,[13][14] which they lost to Bengaluru. However Gujarat then defeated Rajasthan in the qualifier 2 game, to reach the final.[14]

Match

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Match officials

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The on-field umpires for the final were K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan and Nitin Menon, while the third umpire was Jayaraman Madanagopal. Virender Sharma was the reserve umpire and Javagal Srinath was the match referee. This was the first time in an IPL final that all five officials were Indian.[15][16]

Team and toss

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Bengaluru's captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to field. Bengaluru's team was unchanged while Gujarat brought in Arshad Khan in place of Sai Kishore.[17]

(IMP) indicates an impact player and (SUB) indicates the player who was substituted.

Gujarat Titans innings

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Virat Kohli in 2024
Virat Kohli scored 75 runs for Bengaluru in the final, and received the player of the match award.

Put in to bat first, the Gujarat openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan were dismissed in the third and fourth overs: bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood respectively. Washington Sundar scored 50 runs from 37 balls while Nishant Sindhu scored 20 runs from 18 balls. All the other Gujarat batters were dismissed for less than 20 runs; they ended their innings with a score of 155 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Rasikh Salam picked up three wickets for Bengaluru.[19][20][21]

Closing ceremony

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A closing ceremony for the IPL season was held during the innings break of the final. It included a live musical performance from Kailash Kher, a laser light show, and a fireworks display.[22][23]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru innings

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Chasing the target of 156, Bengaluru openers Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli shared an opening partnership of 62 runs before Iyer was dismissed for 32. Devdutt Padikkal and Krunal Pandya were dismissed for one run each, while Rajat Patidar made 15. The score was 91 for 4 after 8.5 overs, with Kohli still not out. The following batters Tim David and Jitesh Sharma contributed scores, while Kohli increased the run rate; he would finish with a strike rate of 178. Bengaluru reached a score of 161-5 after 18 overs, passing the target and securing the title. Kohli was not out with 75 runs from 42 balls; he received the player of the match award.[24] Bowler Rashid Khan took two wickets for Gujarat.[19][20][21]

Match details

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Final
31 May 2026 (2026-05-31)
19:30 (N)
Scorecard
Gujarat Titans
155/8 (20 overs)
v
Washington Sundar 50* (37)
Rasikh Salam 3/27 (4 overs)
Virat Kohli 75* (42)
Rashid Khan 2/25 (4 overs)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 5 wickets
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Umpires: K. N. Ananthapadmanabhan (Ind) and Nitin Menon (Ind)
Player of the match: Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
  • Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to field.
  • Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their second IPL title after 2025. They also became the third team to win two consecutive IPL finals.[25][26]

Aftermath

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Bengaluru became the third team to win two consecutive IPL finals after Chennai and Mumbai.[28] Bengaluru received ₹20 crore (US$2.1 million) and Gujarat received ₹12.5 crore (US$1.3 million) in prize money.[29] Bengaluru captain Patidar dedicated the victory to the victims of the crowd crush that occurred during last year's victory celebrations.[30]

References

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  1. ↑ "Indian Premier League". Britannica.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  2. ↑ Gollapudi, Nagraj (11 March 2026). "RCB vs SRH to kick off IPL 2026 in Bengaluru on March 28". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Gollapudi, Nagraj (26 March 2026). "Mumbai to face CSK and RCB twice as IPL releases full league stage schedule". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 27 March 2026. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  4. ↑ Brar, Hemant (25 March 2026). "IPL 2026 FAQs: New venue, big trades, and the million dollar Thala question". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "IPL 2026 Full Schedule Release: BCCI Confirms 74-Game Format". ABP Live. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Schedule for TATA IPL 2026 Playoffs announced; Ahmedabad to Host Grand Finale". IPLT20.com. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Fatima, Uzma (6 May 2026). "Why BCCI Shifted IPL 2026 Final From Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad? Check Playoffs Venues And Schedule". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  8. ↑ "BCCI announces schedule for IPL 2026 Playoffs: Bengaluru loses out; Ahmedabad gets fourth final". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Rajat Patidar Becomes 1st RCB & 5th Captain Overall To Qualify For Back-To-Back IPL Finals". News18. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Bengaluru roars into IPL final as Patidar powers 92-run win over Gujarat". The Washington Post. 26 May 2026. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Gill ton steers Gujarat past Rajasthan into IPL final". Reuters. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "IPL winners list from 2008–2025: From RCB breaking jinx after 18 years to CSK's dominance with 10 finals". The Times of India. 10 April 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 2026 Indian Premier League, points table: standings at ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 2026 Indian Premier League, schedule: fixtures and results at ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "In a first, all Indian umpires to officiate IPL final". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Final: RCB vs GT - Code of Conduct Breach". iplt20.com. Indian Premier League. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Why the IPL 2026 Final toss left both RCB and GT smiling in Ahmedabad". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Playing XI - GT vs RCB Final | Indian Premier League Squad". ESPNcricinfo. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  19. 1 2 "RCB vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026 Final: Seamers, Kohli take RCB to second successive title". ESPNcricinfo. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 "RCB vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026 Final: Kohli's unbeaten 75 leads Royal Challengers Bengaluru to second title; Sooryavanshi sweeps major awards at final presentation ceremony". Sportstar. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Virat Kohli hits winning runs as Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain IPL title". The Guardian. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Nishant, Shashwat (31 May 2026). "IPL 2026 closing ceremony: Performers, live time, streaming and telecast". Business Standard. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  23. ↑ Chaturvedi, Shachi (1 June 2026). "Kailash Kher Performs Shiv Tandav At IPL 2026 Closing Ceremony; Varun, Pooja and Mrunal Enjoy Live Match". News18. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "IPL 2026 Final — Virat Kohli wins Player of the Match for unbeaten 75". Sportstar. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "IPL 2026 final: Virat Kohli's unbeaten 75 helps RCB beat Gujarat Titans to secure back-to-back titles". BBC Sport. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "RCB's back-to-back titles built on foundations set by IPL mega-auction". India Today. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "GT vs RCB Cricket Scorecard, Final at Ahmedabad, May 31, 2026". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "IPL 2026 Final: When was the last time a team won back-to-back IPL titles?". Sportstar. 31 May 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "How Much Money Did RCB, Gujarat Titans Win After IPL 2026 Final". NDTV Sports. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  30. ↑ Acharya, Shayan (1 June 2026). "Patidar dedicates RCB's IPL 2026 triumph to last year's stampede victims". Sportstar. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
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