IPL 2026: RCB’s historic title defence, Kohli’s big-final heroics and Sooryavanshi’s breakthrough – A season full of records | Cricket News
The Indian Premier League 2026 season will be remembered as one of the most explosive and record-laden editions in the tournament’s history. From Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defending their title to teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rewriting record books, IPL 2026 delivered unforgettable moments throughout its two-month journey.
RCB End 17-Year Wait and Build a Dynasty
For years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were synonymous with heartbreak. Despite boasting some of the biggest names in cricket, the franchise failed to win a single IPL title during the first 17 years of the competition. That narrative changed dramatically in 2025 when RCB finally lifted their maiden IPL trophy. If that victory ended the curse, the 2026 triumph established their dominance.Under captain Rajat Patidar, RCB defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final to become only the third franchise in IPL history to win consecutive titles after Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020).
Teams to Win Back-to-Back IPL Titles:
- Chennai Super Kings – 2010, 2011
- Mumbai Indians – 2019, 2020
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 2025, 2026
The title also elevated RCB into an elite group of franchises with multiple IPL championships.Most IPL Titles:
- Mumbai Indians – 5
- Chennai Super Kings – 5
- Kolkata Knight Riders – 3
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 2
Adding further, RCB became only the fourth team to win multiple IPL finals at the same venue, having lifted both the 2025 and 2026 trophies in Ahmedabad.Winning two IPL finals at the same venue:
- MI – Kolkata (2013, 2015)
- MI – Hyderabad (2017, 2019)
- KKR – Chennai (2012, 2024)
- RCB – Ahmedabad (2025, 2026)
Virat Kohli Delivers on the Biggest Stage
Virat Kohli once again proved why he remains one of the greatest players in IPL history. The former RCB captain produced a match-winning performance in the final as he scored unbeaten 75 off 42 balls and became the second-oldest player ever to win the Player of the Match award in an IPL final.Oldest Players to Win Player of the Match in an IPL Final:
- Anil Kumble (RCB, 2009) – 38 years, 219 days
- Virat Kohli (RCB, 2026) – 37 years, 207 days
- Faf du Plessis (CSK, 2021) – 37 years, 94 days
- Shane Watson (CSK, 2018) – 36 years, 344 days
The Qualifier 1 Advantage Continues
RCB’s title run also reinforced a long-standing IPL trend. Since the current playoff format was introduced in 2011, the winner of Qualifier 1 has gone on to win 13 of the 16 IPL finals. Remarkably, every IPL champion since 2018 has come through Qualifier 1.
Krunal Pandya Joins Elite IPL Winners Club
RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya added another remarkable achievement to his decorated IPL career. He became one of only six players to feature in five or more IPL title-winning campaigns.Players Featuring in Five or More IPL Final Wins:
- Rohit Sharma – 6
- Ambati Rayudu – 6
- MS Dhoni – 5
- Kieron Pollard – 5
- Hardik Pandya – 5
- Krunal Pandya – 5
Rabada’s purple patch creates history
Kagiso Rabada enjoyed a sensational season with the ball, finishing as the Purple Cap winner with 29 wickets. In doing so, he became only the fourth bowler in IPL history to win the Purple Cap more than once.Multiple Purple Cap Winners:
- Dwayne Bravo – 2013, 2015
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 2016, 2017
- Harshal Patel – 2021, 2024
- Kagiso Rabada – 2020, 2026
The Season of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
If one player symbolised IPL 2026, it was 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The teenager not only dominated opposition bowlers but also swept multiple individual honours.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 Awards: Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season (Strike Rate: 237.3), Super Sixes of the Season (72 sixes), Orange Cap (776 runs).Other Major IPL 2026 Award Winners
- Fair Play Award – Punjab Kings
- Catch of the Season – Manish Pandey (stunning catch to dismiss Tim David)
- Most Dot Balls Bowled – Mohammed Siraj (172)
- Most Fours – Sai Sudharsan (75)
IPL 2026: The Most Explosive Edition Ever?
Almost every major batting metric reached unprecedented heights in IPL 2026.Tournament Records:
- Most Runs in an IPL Season – 27,450
- Highest Runs Per Wicket – 31.26
- Highest Run Rate – 9.88
- Most Fours – 2,332
- Most Sixes – 1,426
- Most Individual Hundreds – 15
- Most 200+ Totals – 65
- Most Successful 200+ Chases – 17
