Virat Kohli produced a match-winning unbeaten 75 to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second consecutive Indian Premier League title, defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in a commanding final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Bengaluru restricted Gujarat to 155-8 after electing to bowl, then chased the target down with 12 balls to spare, with Kohli sealing victory in fitting fashion by depositing the winning delivery over the boundary rope. The 42-ball innings, which contained nine fours and three sixes, was his fifth half-century of the season and arguably his most significant. As the ball cleared the rope, Kohli pointed to the stands before being engulfed by his charging teammates.
The world’s largest cricket ground recorded an official attendance of over 90,000 spectators, with Kohli’s iconic number 18 jersey dominating the terraces throughout.
Opening alongside Venkatesh Iyer, who contributed a brisk 32 off 16 balls, Kohli helped Bengaluru fly out of the blocks with a 62-run partnership. Mohammed Siraj removed Iyer before Kagiso Rabada dismissed Devdutt Padikkal, and Rashid Khan then struck twice in a single over to send back captain Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya, giving Gujarat renewed hope. Tim David steadied the chase alongside Kohli with a partnership of 41 before falling for 24, after which Kohli calmly finished the job with Jitesh Sharma for company.
Bengaluru’s bowlers had laid the foundation earlier in the evening. Rasikh Salam was the standout performer with figures of 3-27, well supported by Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who claimed two wickets each. The decision to bowl first was vindicated from the opening overs, with Hazlewood removing Gujarat captain Shubman Gill for 10 and Kumar dismissing opener Sai Sudharsan for 12 in the very next over. Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in the 13th over and never fully recovered, despite a defiant unbeaten 50 from Washington Sundar in the closing stages.
Both Gill and Sudharsan had been in contention for the Orange Cap heading into the final, but Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi claimed the award for the season’s leading scorer with a remarkable 776 runs. Gill finished second on 732, Sudharsan third on 722, and Kohli fourth with 675 runs including one century.
For Gujarat, it was a second runners-up finish in three final appearances, their only IPL triumph having come in their debut season in 2022. For Bengaluru and Kohli, it was the culmination of a remarkable two-year journey that began with their first title at the same venue last year after 18 attempts.
