IPL 2026 Final: Defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, have the chance to join the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians to become only the third team to win back-to-back championships. Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans at home stands in RCB’s way as they chase their second Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. Having suffered 17 trophyless years, the Royal Challengers has not had the best of times when it comes to the finals. They have made it to the final of the tournament four times before tonight, including once under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. Here is a look at their record in the finals ahead of the RCB vs GT clash.
IPL 2026 Final: How has Royal Challengers Bengaluru performed in the IPL final?
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Score |
| May 24, 2009 | Deccan Chargers | Johannesburg | Lost | DC: 143/6, RCB: 137/9 |
| May 28, 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai | Lost | CSK: 205/5, RCB: 147/8 |
| May 29, 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru | Lost | SRH: 208/7, RCB: 200/7 |
| Jun 3, 2025 | Punjab Kings | Ahmedabad | Won | RCB: 190/9, PBKS: 184/7 |
| May 31, 2026 | Gujarat Titans | Ahmedabad | N.A. | To be played |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have played in the IPL final four times. On these four occasions, they finished as runner-up thrice in 2009, 2011, and 2016. It was only last year when Rajat Patidar led RCB to the trophy in his first year as captain. Notably, the Royal Challengers have won the only time they batted first in the final. Prior to 2025, all their losses in the final came while chasing, despite having possibly the best player in chases in the history of the game in their team, Virat Kohli.
IPL 2026 Final: How can Rajat Patidar overtake MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to make this unique record in RCB vs GT?
There is no doubt over the fact that MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are the best captains in the history of the IPL. The two Indian cricketers won the trophy five times each as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. However, if Rajat Patidar’s RCB win tonight against GT, then he would become the first captain to win the trophy twice in his first two seasons as the skipper. In its history, IPL has only witnessed two captains other than Patidar to win the trophy in their first year. Shane Warne did it with the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season in 2008, while Hardik Pandya did it with the Gujarat Titans in 2022. However, neither won the trophy in the following year, even though Pandya came close with GT finishing as runner-up. Patidar, tonight, would have an opportunity to create history as RCB chase a second title against GT.
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Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
