Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, stormed into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final with a crushing 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday, May 26. This marks RCB’s second successive IPL final appearance, etching their name into the history books as only the fourth franchise to achieve back-to-back finals.
RCB, who clinched their maiden IPL title in 2025 by defeating Punjab Kings, posted a mammoth 254/5 in 20 overs against Gujarat Titans. Skipper Rajat Patidar led from the front with a blistering 93 off just 33 balls – the highest score by a captain in IPL playoff history – at a strike rate of nearly 282.
In reply, Gujarat Titans’ chase never found a sustainable rhythm against the scoreboard pressure. Despite resilient knocks from Rahul Tewatia (68) and Jos Buttler (29), a clinical bowling display led by Jacob Duffy (3/39) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/28) bundled out the Gujarat Titans for 162 in 19.3 overs.
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A Historic Milestone For RCB
With this, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) joined an elite club of teams — Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Gujarat Titans — that have reached the IPL final in consecutive seasons.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Reached four straight finals from 2010 to 2013 (winning in 2010 and 2011), and also in 2018-2019.
Mumbai Indians (MI): Back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
Gujarat Titans (GT): Finals in 2022 and 2023 (winning the debut title in 2022).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Now in 2025 and 2026.
This feat underscores RCB’s remarkable transformation. After years of heartbreak and near-misses, the franchise finally broke their title drought in 2025 under Patidar’s captaincy and have sustained that momentum into the title defence.
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The Road To IPL 2026 Final
RCB topped the league stage with strong performances throughout IPL 2026. Their victory today books them a direct spot in the final on May 31 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They will face the winner of Qualifier 2 (between the losers of Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator).
Patidar, in his second season as captain, has now led RCB to back-to-back finals – a rare achievement. He joins an exclusive list of captains who have guided their teams to consecutive finals. Kohli, the evergreen star, has been instrumental with over 600 runs in multiple seasons, providing the experience and stability the team needed.
What This Means for RCB
Reaching consecutive finals is no small feat in the competitive IPL ecosystem. Back-to-back titles have been achieved only by CSK (2010-11) and MI (2019-20), making RCB’s quest for a historic double even more tantalizing.
