Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Gujarat Titans on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to win the IPL 2026 title. With this, RCB has become the third team in the league’s history to win the title in consecutive seasons.
When a team wins a title in cricket, it is not won on the strength of just one player. It requires the support of the entire team. However, there are some players who play a key role in the victory through their performances. We are going to tell you about five such heroes of RCB’s win this season.
Key Contributors to RCB’s Victory
Virat Kohli
Since the beginning of the IPL, Virat Kohli has been playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has also captained the team, but could not win a title as captain. Last year, the team’s long wait for a championship ended, and this season too RCB performed brilliantly. Kohli’s batting was strong last year as well, and this season too he played a key role in helping the team win through his batting performance.
Against Gujarat in the final, Virat Kohli played a brilliant innings of 75 runs off 42 balls. In this knock, he hit nine fours and three sixes.
In this season, Kohli was RCB’s highest run-scorer. He scored 675 runs in 16 matches, which included five half-centuries and one century. During this period, his strike rate was 165.84 and his average was 56.25.
Rajat Patidar
The contribution of captain Rajat Patidar to RCB’s victory cannot be denied. He not only delivered strong performances with the bat but also led the team effectively as captain. His on-field strategies played a key role in RCB successfully defending the title.
In terms of performance, he finished as the team’s second-highest run-scorer this season. Patidar scored 501 runs in 15 matches, including five half-centuries. His strike rate this season was 192.69.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Known for his swing bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar showed his classic form this season. In the powerplay, he made it very difficult for opposition batters to settle at the crease. He finished second on the list of highest wicket-takers this season, narrowly missing out on the Purple Cap by just one wicket.
Bhuvneshwar took 28 wickets in 16 matches this season. In the final as well, he picked up two wickets and helped restrict Gujarat from posting a big total.
Krunal Pandya
The contribution of all-rounder Krunal Pandya cannot be overlooked. He delivered strong performances with both bat and ball. Whenever the team needed him, he stepped up with the bat, and he also picked up crucial wickets at important moments with the ball.
He scored 226 runs in 16 matches, including one half-century, which came against Mumbai Indians. His unbeaten 41 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final league match, and his 43 runs against Gujarat in the first qualifier, were especially important this season. In bowling, Pandya took 14 wickets in 16 matches.
Rasikh Dar
With world class bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood in the side, it is a big achievement for a young bowler to make his mark and Rasikh Salam Dar has done exactly that for RCB.
He impressed with his bowling, especially in the final where he took three wickets for 27 runs in his four overs. Throughout the season, he played 12 matches and took 19 wickets.
