Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their second consecutive Indian Premier League title on Sunday, defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The franchise became the third team in tournament history to win back-to-back titles, following Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
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Kohli Leads the Charge
Virat Kohli anchored the chase with an unbeaten 75 runs off 42 balls, guiding the team to victory and ending an 18-year trophy drought with two successive championships.
The win came amid a major ownership transition for the franchise.
A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group is set to take over operations from the Diageo Group starting in the 2027 season, after finalizing the acquisition for $1.78 billion (approximately INR 16,705 crore) just before the 19th IPL season began in March.
Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla attended the final and praised the team's unity.
"It's a great team. It's a team that works seamlessly together.
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It is very rare to see a team that is so bonded," Birla said.
He also expressed confidence in the team's ability to win a third consecutive title.
"I think so," Birla replied when asked about completing a three-peat.
Team members echoed the sentiment, with player Tim David saying, "Why not?" when asked about another title next year.
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The new management structure will formally begin after the 2026 season, with Aryaman Vikram Birla as Chairman and Satyan Gajwani of The Times of India Group as Vice Chairman.
