Seventeen years have taught Royal Challengers Bangalore how to endure. A title taught them how to win.“Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing,” Vince Lombardi once famously said. For the longest time, RCB looked stuck in the latter cycle. Season after season, they lived up to the hopes of one of the IPL’s most passionate fanbases, only to fall short.The wait finally ended in 2025, and successfully defending their crown in 2026, RCB doubled their IPL trophy tally in the span of two seasons and became only the third franchise after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to retain the IPL title.Rajat Patidar Joining MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in an elite club of captains, RCB completed a turnaround that few could have imagined during the franchise’s heartbreaking years.For nearly two decades, RCB was defined by superstars. Virat Kohli The center was and still is. Before and alongside him were icons like AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.Yet the unlikely catalyst behind the franchise’s golden era has been Patidar, an extraordinary captain from Madhya Pradesh who now has two IPL titles to his name and has overseen the most successful era in the franchise’s history.
AHMEDABAD: Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate with the tournament trophy during the late presentation ceremony after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (PTI Photo/Ravi Chaudhary)
More importantly, the 2026 campaign proved that the 2025 victory was no fluke. This was just the beginning. After years of searching for the right combination, RCB’s think tank Mo Bobbitt, Andy Flower And Dinesh Karthik built a squad that didn’t depend on one individual carrying the load.The old RCB often relied on individual talent. Gayle’s disaster, De Villiers’ campaigns and the year when Kohli shouldered almost the entire batting responsibility. Kohli still led from the front in 2026, once again finishing as the franchise’s highest run-scorer, but this time he had support. Plenty of it.The march to a second consecutive title ended at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the venue where RCB broke their curse a year ago.Winning a title is difficult. Defending one is an entirely different challenge. But RCB was ready for it. They topped the points table with nine wins from 14 league matches, brushed aside Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and then repeated the feat against the same opponents in the final.
Calm head, aggressive team
At the center of this change stood the Patidars.
Rajat Patidar
When he took over the captaincy, the challenge went beyond strategy. Over the past two seasons, however, Patidar has quietly molded the team into his image: calm off the field, aggressive once the contest starts.The captain led with the bat as well, finishing the season with an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 192.69. His 42 sixes were the most in the tournament.When RCB stumbled against Rajasthan Royals, Patidar rebuilt before accelerating to 63. At Wankhede, he scored 53 runs off just 20 balls. Against Lucknow Supergiants, his 61 almost dragged RCB into an unlikely chase. Then came Qualifier 1, where he produced a decent innings of the season, hitting 93 off just 33 balls with nine sixes to effectively settle the contest before Gujarat Titans started their chase.Yet in a team that had moved beyond reliance on individuals, Kohli remained the bedrock.
Virat Kohli: Still the standard bearer
At the age of 37, Kohli once again topped RCB’s run charts, scoring 657 runs at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 165.49 with one century and five fifties. His unbeaten 105 against Kolkata Knight Riders dispelled any doubts after consecutive zeroes. Chasing 206, he had a classy 81 against the Gujarat Titans. His unbeaten 69 in the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad ensured RCB’s title defense with a statement victory.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli celebrates with his teammates after their victory in the Indian Premier League final cricket match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
And when the biggest stage came, Kohli once again found a way to leave his mark. The man who had spent nearly two decades carrying the franchise’s hopes scored his fastest IPL fifty in the final (75*), sealing RCB’s second consecutive title.
Different hero, same result
As Josh Hazlewood became the perfect foil. Bhuvneshwar Kumar With the ball, Devdutt Padikal emerged as the ideal partner for Kohli and Patidar in the batting unit.Padikal returned to Bengaluru last season after enduring a difficult spell elsewhere, but IPL 2026 was his real renaissance. He scored 464 runs at a strike rate of 168.72 and was consistently aggressive.His 61 off 26 balls against SRH turned a tough chase of 202 into a comfortable one. His fifty against CSK set the platform for RCB’s total of 250. Against GT, he scored a crucial 55 off 27 balls.The batting depth didn’t end there.Tim DavidThe role was clear from the start: finish the games. His 305 runs came at a strike rate of 189.44. The standout performance came against CSK, when he scored an unbeaten 70 off just 25 balls. Throughout the season, David made effective cameos that repeatedly tilted the matches in RCB’s favour.
Krunal Pandya celebrates after taking the wicket of Jos Buttler. (Image credit: IPL)
He was flanked by one of the tournament’s most valuable all-rounders, Colonel Pandya. Krunal scored 226 runs at an average of 37.66 while scoring at an average of 145.80 and also took 14 wickets. His contributions often arrive at moments of crisis.A 73 against Mumbai Indians in a dramatic last-ball victory at Raipur was as impressive a performance as any during the season.Phil Salt’s season was cut short by injury, but his impact when available was huge. In just six innings, he scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 168.33 and provided an explosive start that helped establish RCB’s offensive identity early in the tournament.Not forgetting Venkatesh Iyer, who warmed the bench for most of IPL 2026 before being pressed into action when both Bethel and Salt were unavailable and provided impetus with the bat in the playoffs. His 73* for 40 at No. 4 vs PBKS was a standout. If the batting provided the firepower, the bowling provided the control that ultimately separated RCB from the rest of the field.
Bhavi, Hazlewood and the new RCB formula
Over the years, RCB’s batting has grabbed most of the attention while questions have hung over their attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar replaced him. The veteran fast bowler took 28 wickets at an average of 17.89 – just one shy of the Purple Cap – and an economy rate of less than eight.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls during the Indian Premier League final cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Ahmedabad, India. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
His spell against DC, where he and Hazlewood reduced the opposition to 8 for 6, was among the most disastrous new-ball performances of the season. Against MI, he played another match-winning spell. Time and again, Bhuvneshwar gave RCB early control, allowing the rest of the attack to run from positions of strength. At 36, he looked like the leader of a championship bowling unit.Hazlewood’s numbers were modest by his lofty standards – 15 wickets in 13 matches – but his impact was huge. The Australian consistently hit hard lengths, created pressure and repeatedly forced the batsmen into errors.Then there was a firm greeting.The young pacer emerged as one of the discoveries of the season, taking 19 wickets in just 12 matches. Relying on the tough stages of the innings, Rasakh paid off that belief with breakthroughs at crucial moments and rounded out a pace attack that combined experience with youthful energy – his three wickets in the final a testament to that.
Ahmedabad, May 31 (ANI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Rasukh Salam Dar celebrates the wicket of Gujarat Titans’ Nishant Sindhu during the Indian Premier League 2026 final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (ANI Photo)
Even when Hazlewood missed games early in the tournament, Jacob Duffy stepped in seamlessly and chipped in during the finals.Individually, those performances were monumental victories. Taken collectively, they tell a larger story.Each major victory featured a different hero. Once it was Kohli. Sometimes a Patidar. Sometimes the pedicle. Ever David. Sometimes the crown. Sometimes Bhubaneswar. Sometimes these bowlers worked as a collective unit. This was a clear feature of this championship.
Each major victory featured a different hero. Once it was Kohli. Sometimes a Patidar. Sometimes the pedicle. Ever David. Sometimes the crown. Sometimes Bhubaneswar. Sometimes these bowlers worked as a collective unit. This was a clear feature of this championship.The first IPL trophy ended one of the league’s longest waits. Another confirmed something even more important. Royal Challengers Bengaluru is no longer a history-chasing franchise. Maybe they’re on the way to making one.
