Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained the Indian Premier League title with a resounding five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans, helped by Virat Kohli's fastest half-century in the competition.

Kohli required just 25 balls to bring up his 50 and ultimately finished with 75 from 42 deliveries, despite spending much of the RCB innings limping due to a right leg injury. 

The title holders started as they meant to go on as some mean bowling restricted the Titans to 45 runs in the powerplay – their second lowest figure of the season after posting 36 against Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier this month.

Openers Shubman Gill (10) and Sai Sudharsan (12) both fell inside four overs, with RCB sharing the wickets around as Josh Hazlewood (2-37), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-29), Rasikh Salam (3-27) and Krunal Pandya (1-23) all got in on the act.

Washington Sundar's unbeaten 50 kept Gujarat ticking over somewhat, but none of his fellow batters could manage more than Nishant Sindhu's 20 as they were limited to 155-8.

While that score looked respectable on a difficult surface, RCB quickly made it look anything but. 

They raced to 62-0 before Venkatesh Iyer (32) became their first casualty, and though the wickets of Devdutt Padikkal (1) and Rajat Patidar (15) offered the Titans hope, that of Kohli evaded them. 

The 37-year-old was clearly in discomfort after having strapping applied to his leg, but that only gave RCB a greater sense of urgency as they chased further boundaries, and he got a reprieve when a review ruled Gill had failed to catch him out when diving forward in the 16th over. 

And Kohli made the most of that let-off, finishing the job in style with a four and a six from back-to-back balls. 

Ee Sala Nu Cup Namdu! 

Welcome to the RCB Era, ladies and gentlemen! 

You waited, you believed and you stayed… this one’s for you again, 12th Man Army! #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/04qxW21j9q

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 31, 2026

Data Debrief: King Kohli helps RCB retain crown

RCB are the first team to retain the IPL title since Mumbai Indians in 2019 and 2020 and only the third to do so overall, after the Chennai Super Kings won back-to-back crowns in 2010 and 2011.

And the contrasting starts to either team's innings set the tone for Sunday's final.

Gujarat Titans required 12.4 overs to hit their first six. The only longer wait to record a six in an IPL final was Mumbai Indians in 2013 (12.5), albeit they triumphed in that showpiece.

By contrast, RCB's second over with the bat saw Iyer smash Kagiso Rabada for 18 runs, and their fourth saw Kohli plunder 19 when facing the same bowler. 

Kohli surpassed his previous fastest 50s in the IPL by one single delivery, having previously required 26 against both Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals in 2018, while he finished with his highest-ever play-off score in the competition (previously 70, set against Chennai Super Kings in 2011).