IPL 2026: Ashish Shelar hails successful season, congratulates RCB

Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar praised the successful IPL 2026 season for its opportunities and job creation. He congratulated Royal Challengers Bengaluru for winning their second consecutive title by defeating Gujarat Titans in the final.

Minister Praises Successful IPL 2026 Season

Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar praised the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season for its success both on and off the field, highlighting the opportunities it provided for players, the large-scale job creation it generated, and the returns delivered to franchise owners. Shelar also commended the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL governing body for organising a world-class tournament enjoyed by cricket fans globally. He also congratulated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for their outstanding title-winning campaign. "This season of the IPL, much like every other season, was incredibly vibrant. Our players, too, received an opportunity to showcase their talent in the game. The ecosystem also witnessed job creation on a massive scale. The owners received a return on their investments, and cricket enthusiasts across the globe had the opportunity to witness a truly excellent league. For this, I extend my sincere appreciation to both the BCCI and the IPL Committee. I offer my hearty congratulations to RCB for the sheer brilliance with which they secured their victory," Shelar said while speaking to reporters.

RCB Defend Crown in Thrilling Final

RCB won their second consecutive IPL title by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the 2026 final on Sunday at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. RCB became only the third side after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) to defend their IPL crown successfully.

Match Recap

The Rajat Patidar-led side, after restricting GT to 155/8 in the first innings, chased the target down with five wickets and two overs remaining. Put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only ones to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly.

RCB started well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli.

GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left.

This came as RCB's second IPL title win and overall their fourth Indian franchise cricket trophy, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles. (ANI)

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