A title defence backed by aggressive gameplay: RCB's road to IPL 2026 final

Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be looking to equal a historic record when they take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

 

If RCB manage to beat GT in the final, they will become only the third team in the tournament’s history to successfully defend their title after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

 

RCB have been one of the most consistent sides this season, as they never looked in any danger of missing out on the playoffs. They maintained their form by finishing at the top of the points table before beating GT in Qualifier 1 to reach the final.

 

 

But what has RCB’s journey to the IPL 2026 final been like? Take a look.

RCB’s road to IPL 2026 final

The defending champions started their IPL 2026 season in the same fashion they finished in 2025 as they beat SRH and CSK with ease in their first two games. They suffered their first loss of the season against RR before getting back on the winning track by defeating MI and LSG in their next two games.

 

The Bengaluru-based side hit a roadblock with a loss against DC before quickly turning things around once again by defeating GT and DC. RCB then lost two games in a row for the first time this season when they went down to GT and LSG back-to-back.

 

However, they then beat MI, KKR and PBKS on the trot to become the first team to book their place in the playoffs. RCB lost their final league game to SRH, but it was not enough to remove them from the top spot in the points table.

 

RCB then produced a dominant performance against GT in Qualifier 1 and won the game by 92 runs after setting the highest total in IPL playoffs history, i.e. 254, to book their place in a second consecutive final.

 

IPL 2026: All RCB match results

Match No.	Date	Opponent	Venue	RCB Score	Opponent Score	Result
1	Mar 28	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Bengaluru	203/4	201/9	Won by 6 wkts
11	Apr 5	Chennai Super Kings	Bengaluru	250/3	207	Won by 43 runs
16	Apr 10	Rajasthan Royals	Guwahati	201/8	202/4	Lost by 6 wkts
20	Apr 12	Mumbai Indians	Mumbai	240/4	222/5	Won by 18 runs
23	Apr 15	Lucknow Super Giants	Bengaluru	149/5	146	Won by 5 wkts
26	Apr 18	Delhi Capitals	Bengaluru	175/8	179/4	Lost by 6 wkts
34	Apr 24	Gujarat Titans	Bengaluru	206/5	205/3	Won by 5 wkts
39	Apr 27	Delhi Capitals	Delhi	77/1	75	Won by 9 wkts
42	Apr 30	Gujarat Titans	Ahmedabad	155	158/6	Lost by 4 wkts
50	May 7	Lucknow Super Giants	Lucknow	203/6	209/3	Lost by 9 runs (DLS)
54	May 10	Mumbai Indians	Raipur	167/8	166/7	Won by 2 wkts
57	May 13	Kolkata Knight Riders	Raipur	194/4	192/4	Won by 6 wkts
61	May 17	Punjab Kings	Dharamsala	222/4	199/8	Won by 23 runs
67	May 22	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Hyderabad	200/4	255/4	Lost by 55 runs
Q1	May 26	Gujarat Titans	Dharamsala	254/5	162	Won by 92 runs

A combined batting effort

One of the biggest troubles for every team in IPL 2026 was the lack of support from the middle order in batting. However, RCB never faced any such issue as they had Virat Kohli (700 runs) leading the charge at the top, with skipper Rajat Patidar (486 runs), Devdutt Padikkal (463 runs), Tim David (281 runs) and Krunal Pandya (225 runs) backing the middle order.

 

RCB’s combined effort with the bat has been the main reason why they have been one of the most consistent sides in the tournament. 

The Bhuvneshwar effect

RCB’s strong batting line-up in IPL 2026 has been backed efficiently by their bowling department, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who, with 27 wickets to his name, is the joint-highest wicket-taker of the season.

 

Bhuvneshwar’s attacking bowling in the powerplay is one reason why RCB have the joint-highest wickets in the powerplay this season (33), along with GT. Bhuvneshwar’s early jolts have helped other bowlers like Rasikh Salam and Josh Hazlewood keep pressure on the opposition and secure win after win for RCB.

 

The defending champions will just need to replicate what they have been doing so far one more time if they wish to secure their second IPL title in a row.