Patidar & Co win back-to-back IPL titles after beating GT in final
Ahmedabad: Royal Challengers Bengaluru rode on a composed unbeaten 75 from Virat Kohli and a disciplined bowling effort to defeat Gujarat Titans by five wickets and retain their IPL title here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 156, RCB reached 161 for five in 18 overs, with Kohli anchoring the innings in his trademark fashion. The veteran batter struck 75 not out off 42 balls and ensured there were no major hiccups despite a brief middle-order wobble.
RCB made a flying start through Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer, who added 62 runs in just 4.3 overs. The duo took apart Kagiso Rabada early, putting the Titans under pressure. Though Gujarat fought back with quick wickets, reducing RCB to 91 for four, Kohli held firm and found support from Tim David, who made a brisk 24.
Earlier, RCB’s bowlers restricted Gujarat Titans to 155 for eight on a sluggish surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Washington Sundar top-scored with an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls, but lacked support from the rest.
Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan cheaply, while Rasikh Salam Dhar claimed three wickets to derail Gujarat’s middle order. Struggling for momentum throughout the innings, GT never recovered from the early setbacks as RCB completed a dominant title defence.
