Unstoppable Bengaluru and masterful Kohli secure successive IPL crowns
Ahmedabad: The wait of 17 years was once a heavy burden, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru have suddenly made winning look like second nature.
Anchored by a masterclass unbeaten 75 from the immortal Virat Kohli, Bengaluru defended their crown in spectacular fashion, overpowering the Gujarat Titans by five wickets to claim their second straight Indian Premier League title.
Under the blinding lights of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium, the reigning champions turned what was expected to be a high-octane thriller into a clinical, lopsided exhibition of T20 execution. Chasing a modest 156, Bengaluru breezed across the finish line with 12 balls to spare, sending a packed house of over 90,000 spectators into absolute delirium.
True to his legendary status, Kohli closed out the fairytale in style. He sealed the championship with a towering six, capping off a magnificent, 42-ball blitz that featured nine blistering fours and three maximums. As the ball cleared the ropes, Kohli proudly pointed toward the roaring stands, before being swarmed by teammates sprinting onto the field to celebrate their historic back-to-back glory.
“From years of heartbreak to back-to-back glory, Bengaluru truly owns the game right now,” fans echoed across social media, celebrating a stunning transformation for a franchise that took 18 attempts to lift its first crown just a season ago.
Bengaluru’s chase began at breakneck speed. Kohli and his opening partner Venkatesh Iyer ripped into the Titans’ pacers, forging a devastating 62-run partnership in just 29 balls. Iyer was particularly aggressive, smashing a rapid 32 off just 16 deliveries before Mohammed Siraj provided a fiery breakthrough for Gujarat.
Siraj’s departure of Iyer sparked a mini-collapse, as Kagiso Rabada quickly removed Devdutt Padikkal. Afghanistan maestro Rashid Khan then turned the screws tightly, picking up two wickets in a single over to dismiss RCB skipper Rajat Patidar (15) and Krunal Pandya.
With Gujarat’s hopes briefly ignited at 92-4, Tim David joined Kohli to steady the ship with a mature 41-run stand. Though David fell for 24, Kohli kept his composure, steering the team safely home alongside Jitesh Sharma.
While Kohli walked away with the silverware and the plaudits, the foundations of this championship victory were poured in the first innings by Bengaluru’s disciplined pace attack. After winning the toss and electing to field, the quicks systematically dismantled the Titans’ batting order, restricting them to a below-par 155-8.
Josh Hazlewood struck the first devastating blow by removing dangerous Titans skipper Shubman Gill for just 10, courtesy of a brilliant running catch by Patidar. In the very next over, veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar dislodged Sai Sudharsan for 12, leaving Gujarat completely shell-shocked.
Despite missing out in the final, Shubman Gill (732 runs) and Sai Sudharsan (722 runs) enjoyed stellar individual seasons, finishing second and third in the tournament’s run-scoring charts. However, the coveted Orange Cap belonged to Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old batting prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who topped the charts with an astronomical 776 runs. Kohli finished a spectacular fourth overall with 675 runs.
For Gujarat, only Washington Sundar offered any meaningful resistance in the final, scoring a defiant, unbeaten 50 to salvage some pride. Nishant Sindhu (20) and England’s Jos Buttler (19) tried to rebuild, but a restrictive left-arm spin spell from Krunal Pandya and relentless pressure from Salam kept the Titans grounded.
With this defeat, the Titans look back at a bitter-sweet history—finishing as runners-up for the second time in three finals, unable to recreate the magic of their debut championship in 2022. For Bengaluru, however, the party has only just begun.
