RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off yet another memorable night to end the Indian Premier League 2026 as they defeated Gujarat Titans in the final by 5 wickets to successfully defend their crown and win back-to-back IPL titles. Apart from lifting the coveted trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, RCB also bagged a massive financial reward for their championship-winning campaign.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the total prize pool for IPL 2026 was more than ₹46.5 crore, making it one of the most lucrative editions in the history of the tournament. The final winner will take home ₹20 crore while the runners-up will get ₹13 crore.
After their victory against Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru collected the winner’s cheque of ₹20 crore. The win also confirmed RCB’s position as one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, claiming their second title and standing as one of the few teams to successfully defend the crown.
Gujarat Titans were rewarded with ₹13 crore for finishing as runners-up, despite falling short in the summit clash. It was another impressive campaign for the Titans who reached their third IPL final in five seasons and once again showed remarkable consistency, this time under captain Shubman Gill.
The prize-money structure of the IPL has not changed much in recent years. Since 2021, champions have continued to get ₹20 crore and runners-up ₹13 crore. The league’s commercial growth has however been extraordinary. In the first season of the IPL in 2008, the winners got only ₹4.8 crore. The payout now is a staggering 300 percent increase over the last 18 years.
Apart from the top two teams, financial rewards are also given to the playoff teams. Individual awards like the Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Most Valuable Player and Emerging Player of the Season have separate cash prizes. Gujarat Titans’ pacer Kagiso Rabada emerged as the IPL 2026 Purple Cap winner, taking 29 wickets and pipping RCB’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished the season with 28 wickets.
While the trophy is the ultimate goal, the massive prize money once again highlighted why IPL continues to be the most lucrative and prestigious franchise cricket league in the world.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
