RCB clinch 2nd straight IPL title; BCCI President hails their form

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their second straight IPL title, beating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the 2026 final. BCCI President Mithun Manhas praised the Rajat Patidar-led side, saying 'they are performing really well'.

The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) President, Mithun Manhas, hailed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), saying "they are performing really well" after the Rajat Patidar-led side clinched their second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title win by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the final of the 2026 season, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

RCB became only the third side after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) to defend their IPL crown successfully. 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.

BCCI President on RCB's Win and IPL's Growth

Speaking to reporters, Mithun Manhas praised RCB for their consistent performances over the past two seasons. "I think they (RCB) have been playing some good cricket from the last two seasons, and as a unit they are performing really well," he said. Manhas described the IPL as an exciting and enjoyable tournament to watch. He expressed hope that the league continues to grow and reach even higher standards in the future. "It's a great tournament. It was a lot of fun to watch, and we hope it continues to grow and the IPL continues to grow at a higher level," he added.

Manhas Lauds Record-Breaking Youngster

Manhas also praised Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling him a "great talent" and noting that he performed very well throughout the season. Notably, the 15-year-old Bihar-born batter had an extraordinary tournament for Rajasthan Royals, finishing as the highest run-scorer in the season with 776 runs at an exceptional strike rate of 237.30.

At just 15 years and 65 days old, Sooryavanshi also set a new IPL record as the youngest Orange Cap winner. The previous record was held by Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan, who won it at 23 years and 231 days in 2025, while Shubman Gill had set the record in 2023 at 23 years and 263 days. "We all know he's (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) a great talent, and he performed extremely well this season," Manhas said.

IPL 2026 Final: Match Summary

Coming to the IPL 2026 final match, 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 one 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 off 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 is 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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