Royal Challengers Bengaluru VS Gujarat Titans Match ball by ball Commentary

The end of the road in 2026 - As with all good things in life, even an IPL season comes to an end every year. After 70 league matches, 3 playoff matches, and then one Grand Final, it is Royal Challengers Bengaluru who reign supreme again in 2026. Probably two of the biggest spectator sports in the World - Football and Cricket, have seen the pinnacle of their respective club finals being played on consecutive days, and in both finals, the defending champion has gone on to defend its title, which is a much more difficult feat than it sounds. It was Paris Saint-Germain yesterday in the Champions League Final, and now it's Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL Final. With that, we also bid you adieu, and what a ride it has been. The festival of cricket lasted for over two months, but just like that, it will be missed until next year. We hope that you enjoyed our coverage as much as we did, bringing all the action to you. Until next time, take care and goodbye!

The Royal Double!  Just one more thing left to do now. Rajat Patidar steps up to the podium and collects that coveted IPL Trophy, hoisting it high in the air for a second time running. Patidar then joins his teammates, and the RCB players rejoice, before posing for a team photo. The confetti and the fireworks go off, and the players' friends and families can be seen with big smiles on their faces.

The captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Rajat Patidar says the feeling is incredible, especially returning to the venue with memories of last year's triumph. At the same time, the focus is on staying present and enjoying the moment, admitting that words are hard to find to describe what the victory means. Speaking about the team's body language, he says the players were clear about their plans from the outset. Having decided to chase if they won the toss, the aim was to remove GT's top three batters inside the Powerplay and put them under pressure. He credits the bowling unit for executing those plans perfectly, praising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Krunal Pandya, Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd for their outstanding performances throughout the tournament. Patidar admits that captaining RCB to the title was never something he had even dreamt about, saying he never imagined himself lifting the trophy as skipper. He feels it was simply meant to be and is grateful for the opportunity and the outcome. Reflecting on the season, he says there was far less pressure compared to last year, when the team was still finding its feet under a new setup. This season, the squad carried much greater confidence thanks to the way they performed throughout the tournament, with players consistently in a positive frame of mind. He also expresses his appreciation for the incredible support from the fans, noting that wherever RCB played, the crowd turned up in huge numbers and made it feel like a home game. Rajat credits his strong season to the work he put in before the tournament. He spent time analysing his batting and identifying areas for improvement, with a particular focus on facing fast bowlers more effectively. He also highlights the guidance he received during the season from Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli and others within the setup, which played a key role in his development. Speaking about Virat Kohli, he says there is never any need to keep someone like him motivated. Whether on or off the field, Kohli is always there for the team and the players. He particularly praises the way Kohli makes an effort to connect with newcomers, helping them settle in and feel comfortable within the group. The skipper also has a special message for the fans, dedicating the title to the RCB faithful and thanking them for their unwavering support throughout the season, signing off with the chant - 'Ee Sala Nu Cup Namdu.'

Time for the winners' award and RCB's head coach, Andy Flower, will collect the mementos on behalf of the entire team of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The skipper, Rajat Patidar, then collects the winners' cheque.

Let's now hear from the GT skipper - Shubman Gill admits that the Gujarat Titans were probably 20-30 runs short, feeling that a total in the region of 180-190 would have made for a much more competitive contest. He notes that there was a bit of movement on offer for the quicks early on, but Gujarat lost early wickets and were never able to build momentum through the middle overs. Shubman believes that even a score of 150-160 could have been defendable had they picked up a couple of early wickets, but concedes that RCB got away in the Powerplay and feels GT gave away 15-20 runs too many in that phase. Gill feels that they were one of the best bowling sides in the tournament and highlights the resilience the group showed after losing their opening couple of games. According to him, the team kept challenging themselves, worked relentlessly on the finer details and grew stronger as the season progressed. Shubman says they fell short on the night and adds that even if they had gone on to lift the trophy, there would still have been lessons to take away and aspects of their game they could have refined further.

GT's director of cricket, Vikram Solanki, collects the runners-up medals on behalf of Gujarat Titans, after which GT's skipper, Shubman Gill, collects the runners-up cheque and joins the broadcasters for a chat.

Next up, the match officials - the match referee and all four umpires receive their mementos.

The Pitch and ground award  (for hosting 5 or more matches) goes to the Cricket Association of Bengal. The Pitch and ground award (for hosting 4 or fewer matches) goes to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.

The MVP of the season - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 IPL season for scoring 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 and taking the Rajasthan Royals deep into the playoffs. The youngster is in some elite company, and let's now hear from him. He says it feels good, although jokingly admits he is feeling some pressure while doing the interview. At the same time, he is determined to keep working hard and improve his performance next season. Speaking about his batting approach, he says he always backs his game and if the first ball is in his area, he looks to attack and play positively. He adds that one of his biggest learnings this season has been how to handle pressure games. According to him, a player cannot bat in the same manner in every situation and must adapt to what the team and the match require. He credits the playoff matches for teaching him that lesson. Looking ahead, he says fitness is a major focus. If he wants to play for a long time, he knows he must stay injury-free and plans to work hard on that aspect. On the support he receives from the Rajasthan Royals, he says everyone in the setup backs him. The senior players, coaches and support staff have been very supportive, creating a positive environment where he is constantly learning and improving.

Top of the leaderboards - Kagiso Rabada wins the Purple Cap Award (given for the leading wicket-taker of the season), as he finishes the season with 29 wickets. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wins the Orange Cap Award (given for the leading run-scorer of the season) in his first full season as he topped the batting charts with 776 runs to his name.