RCB IPL 2026 title defence: With Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar at heart, Rajat Patidar brings second straight crown

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) NEW DELHI: Just two years ago, it felt like the dream would never come true when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) crashed out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in an Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Their fans left the stadium in tears. Many also left the stadium in tears last night. Difference? Agony and joy. And two IPL titles on the trot. RCB consolidated their reign after successfully defending their title against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday night. It has been a complete team effort throughout the season where all nine other teams have found it difficult whenever they have faced Rajat Patidar’s men.This season, RCB won 11 matches, including nine in the league stage, Qualifier 1 and the final. And to be honest, it was complete dominance by the Bengaluru-based franchise. As the Patidar captain said before the tournament, they were not defending but chasing another title. They have maintained a clear attacking approach throughout the season, with the captain leading from the front by hitting the most sixes (42) for RCB this season. Virat Kohli did what he has done for the last 18 years and finished as RCB’s leading run-scorer once again. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Suyash Sharma and Jacob Duffy started with the ball. Krunal Pandya and Venkatesh Iyer unleashed their all-round brilliance. Again, it was a complete team performance that RCB had planned.

RCB in IPL 2026: 11 wins, 5 losses

RCB started their campaign with a dominant win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. They secured a comfortable win by six wickets and followed it up with a win against Chennai Super Kings.Their first loss came against Rajasthan Royals when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stole the show. However, they did not lose momentum and bounced back with back-to-back wins against Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, followed by a defeat against Delhi Capitals. They responded again with wins against Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate with the winner’s trophy (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

After the first half of the season, RCB suffered back-to-back defeats against Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants for the first time. However, they bounced back brilliantly with a last-ball victory against Mumbai Indians, powered by Krunal Pandya’s fiery 73, one of the best knocks of his IPL career.They carried that momentum forward with wins against Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. RCB then suffered their biggest defeat of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad but bounced back significantly with back-to-back wins over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 and the final.

The reason for RCB’s success

Batting dominance does not depend on Virat aloneRCB used to rely heavily on Virat Kohli. If he didn’t do well, the team often collapsed. But this season, the RCB batting unit has shown complete dominance. Virat Kohli finished with 675 runs while skipper Rajat Patidar led from the front with 501 runs. Devdutt Padikkal supported Kohli brilliantly and scored 464 runs. Tim David and Krunal Pandya boosted the middle order with 305 and 226 runs respectively. The collective dominance of the batting unit has given RCB immense depth and confidence to overcome any challenge.Bowling master classBhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood continued to trouble the opposition batsmen throughout the season. Whenever Hazlewood was unavailable, Duffy stepped in and led the pace attack alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam Dar. Along with Krunal Pandya, each player contributed wickets at crucial moments whenever the team needed them. RCB took 104 wickets during the season, led by Bhuvneshwar’s 28 wickets.Every contribution from the bowlers was as important as the dominance of the batsmen.

IPL 2026: RCB report card

Top performers for RCBRCB’s successful IPL 2026 title defense was built on the contributions of several key players.Virat Kohli led from the front with 675 runs in 16 innings at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.85, proving yet again why he remains the backbone of the franchise.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli talks to South African cricketer AB de Villiers before the start of the Indian Premier League final (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Captain Rajat Patidar stepped up his leadership as well as his batting, scoring 501 runs, including a stunning unbeaten 93 off 33 balls in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans that powered RCB into the final.Bhuvneshwar Kumar spearheaded the bowling attack with 28 wickets in 16 matches, combining control and swing while making vital lower-order contributions with the bat when required.Krunal Pandya continued his reputation as RCB’s quiet hero, contributing 226 runs and 14 wickets to become the first player in franchise history to achieve the double of 200 runs and 10 wickets in a single season.Small contributions, big impactPhil Salt suffered an injury midway through the season, giving Jacob Bethell an opportunity. He played seven innings but couldn’t quite replicate the form that made him a standout performer in the T20 World Cup. RCB gave Venkatesh Iyer a chance, he made the most of limited opportunities but made a big impact, scoring 209 runs in just six innings at a strike rate of 186.61. His impressive knocks in the playoffs and finals proved crucial in RCB’s journey to back-to-back IPL titles.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli, left, and Jacob Duffy celebrate Gujarat Titans’ Washington Sundar’s wicket (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)

Duffy stepped in when Hazlewood was unavailable and impressed enough that RCB decided to play both Duffy and Hazlewood during the playoffs. Rasikh Salam Dar complemented Bhuvneshwar brilliantly and picked up 19 wickets while Suyash Sharma endured a mixed season but remained economical and finished with nine wickets.

Top Pitchers:

PlayerMatchesInnsGoalsBest BowlingAvgEconSR4WBhuvneshwar Kumar1616284/23
17.897.9513.501Rasikh Dar1212194/2421.319.4513.521Josh Hazlewood1313154/1232.939.5920.601Krunal Pandya1615142/16431.3 Sharma121292/4741.779.2027.220Avg = bowling average, Econ = economy rate, SR = strike rate, 4 W = four wicket hauls, 5 W = five wicket haulsThe best doughs:Player MatchesInnsRunsHSAvgSR100s50s4s6sVirat Kohli1616675105*56.25165.84157325Rajat Patidar151450193*41.75192.69053042Devdutt Padikkal16154646133.14168.72034924Tim David161530570*33.89188.27012223Krunal Pandya1692267337.67145.80012011HS = highest score, Avg = batting average, SR = strikeout rate

What next for RCB?

RCB’s focus now shifts to the IPL 2027 Mega Auction where the challenge will be to retain the core of their back-to-back championship winning team.The franchise will have to make tough decisions on key players apart from automatic picks like Kohli, Patidar and Padikkal.Retaining key bowlers like Bhuvneshwar and Dar will be a priority. At the same time, RCB will have to plan for the future by identifying young Indian batting talents who can eventually succeed Kohli as part of a long-term strategy.Looking at the overseas contingent, the franchise must also find a way to bring back stars like Hazlewood, Salt and Tim, whose value will increase after their contributions to back-to-back winning campaigns.However, RCB may also have to make some tough decisions regarding players like Bethell and Romario who have endured tough seasons this year.