NEW DELHI: Just two years ago, it seemed as if the dream would never come true when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) crashed out of the Indian Premier League.IPLIn the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR). His fans left the stadium in tears. Many people left the stadium in tears last night too. The difference? Pain and pleasure. And two consecutive IPL titles. RCB consolidated their reign after successfully defending their title against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening. It was a complete team effort throughout the season, where all nine teams found it difficult whenever they came up against them. Rajat Patidarmen ofIn this season, RCB won 11 matches including nine in the league stage, qualifier 1 and the final. And to put it in all honesty, it was completely dominated by the Bengaluru-based franchise. As skipper Patidar said before the tournament, he was not defending but chasing another title.He kept his attacking style evident throughout the season, with the skipper leading the way with the most sixes (42) for RCB this season. Virat Kohli Did what he has been doing for the last 18 years, finished as RCB’s leading run scorer once again. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh HazlewoodRasakh Salam Dar, Suyash Sharma, et al Jacob Duffy Stepped up with the ball. Krunal Pandya and Venkatesh Iyer showed their excellent all-round performance. Again, it was a complete team performance that RCB had planned for.
RCB in IPL 2026: 11 wins, 5 losses
RCB started their campaign with a dominant win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. They comfortably won by six wickets and followed that up with a victory against Chennai Super Kings.Their first loss came against Rajasthan Royals when Vibhu Suryavanshi stole the show. However, they did not lose momentum and bounced back with back-to-back wins against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Supergiants, followed by a loss to Delhi Capitals. They responded again with back-to-back victories against Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate with the winner’s trophy (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
After the first half of the season, RCB suffered back-to-back defeats against Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Supergiants for the first time. However, they bounced back with a last-ball win against Mumbai Indians, with Krunal Pandya’s brilliant 73, one of the best innings of his IPL career.They continued the momentum with victories against Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. RCB then suffered their biggest defeat of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad but bounced back strongly with back-to-back wins against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and the final.
The reason for RCB’s success
Batting dominance does not depend on Virat alone.RCB depended heavily on Virat Kohli. If he fails, the team often falls. But this season, RCB’s batting unit has shown complete dominance. Virat Kohli scored 675 runs while skipper Rajat Patidar scored 501 runs. Devdutt Padikal supported Kohli brilliantly and scored 464 runs. Tim David and Krunal Pandya strengthened the middle order with 305 and 226 respectively. The collective dominance of the batting unit gave RCB great depth and confidence to overcome any challenge.Bowling Master ClassBhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood continued to trouble the opposition batsmen throughout the season. Whenever Hazlewood was unavailable, Duffy stepped in and led the pace attack along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashikh Salam Dar. Along with Krunal Pandya, every bowler contributed wickets at crucial moments whenever the team needed them. RCB took 104 wickets during the season, led by Bhuvneshwar’s 28 wickets.The contribution of each bowler was as important as the dominance of the batsmen.
IPL 2026: RCB Report Card
Top performers for RCBRCB’s successful IPL 2026 title defense was built on the contributions of several key players.Virat Kohli led from the front with 675 runs in 16 innings at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.85, proving yet again why he is the backbone of the franchise.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli talks to South African cricketer AB de Villiers before the start of the Indian Premier League final (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Skipper Rajat Patidar stepped up both his leadership and batting, scoring 501 runs, including a brilliant unbeaten 93 off 33 balls in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans that took RCB to the final.Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling attack with 28 wickets in 16 matches, combining control and swing while also making important contributions in the lower order with the bat when required.Krunal Pandya continued his reputation as RCB’s unsung hero, with 226 runs and 14 wickets to become the first player in franchise history to complete the 200-run and 10-wicket double in a single season.Small contributions, big impactPhil Salt suffered a mid-season injury that gave way to Jacob Bethel. He played seven innings but could not quite replicate the form that saw him excel in the T20 World Cup. RCB gave Venkatesh Iyer a chance, he made limited chances but made a big impact, scoring 209 runs in just six innings at a strike rate of 186.61. His impressive knocks in the playoffs and finals proved crucial in RCB’s journey to the IPL title.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli, left, and Jacob Duffy celebrate the wicket of Gujarat Titans’ Washington Sundar (PTI Photo/Ravi Chaudhary)
Duffy stepped in when Hazlewood was unavailable and impressed so much that RCB opted to play both Duffy and Hazlewood during the playoffs. Rashikh Salam Dar complemented Bhuvneshwar brilliantly and took 19 wickets, while Suyash Sharma endured a mixed season but was economical and finished with nine wickets.
Top Bowlers:
Average = bowling average, economy = economy rate, SR = strike rate, 4W = four wickets taken, 5W = five wickets lostTop Batsmen:
HS = Highest Score, Avg = Batting Average, SR = Strike Rate
What’s next for RCB?
RCB’s focus is now on the IPL 2027 mega auction, where the challenge will be to retain the core of their back-to-back championship-winning squad.The franchise will have to make tough decisions on key players beyond automatic picks like Kohli, Patidar and Padikal.Retaining key bowlers like Bhuvneshwar and Dar will be a priority. At the same time, RCB will need to plan for the future by identifying young Indian batting talent who can eventually replace Kohli as part of the long-term strategy.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
Looking at the overseas contingent, the franchise will also have to find a way to bring back stars like Hazelwood, Salt and Timm, whose value is expected to increase after contributing to back-to-back title-winning campaigns.However, RCB may also have to make some tough decisions on players like Bethel and Romario, who have endured tough seasons this year.
