Patidar dedicates title to fans lost in Bengaluru tragedy, Gill rues missed chances: 'This one is for you again'

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar dedicated the team’s IPL 2026 title win to the supporters who lost their lives in the tragedy that followed RCB’s historic triumph in 2025. After leading RCB to back-to-back championships with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, Patidar made an emotional gesture in the post-match press conference.

“We dedicate this trophy to our fans, actually not fans, family members, who passed away in the tragedy last year,” Patidar said in the post-match press conference. The RCB captain’s words came just moments after his side sealed only the third instance of back-to-back IPL titles in history after Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.

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Reflecting on his journey as captain, Patidar admitted he never imagined lifting multiple trophies for RCB when he first took charge. He said the team felt more settled this season compared to the pressure-filled campaign last year, which marked their maiden IPL triumph in 18 years.

"This year, we were pretty confident because of the way we played in this tournament and everyone was in a good frame of mind. Slightly more confident as compared to last year and it was good. It was good to see fans coming to every ground wherever we went. It felt like a home ground for us. So this one is for you again, RCB fans - Ee Salanu Cup Namdu," Patidar said after the win.

Shubman Gill talks about missed chances

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill felt his side fell just short of what could have been a match-winning total. GT were restricted to 155/8, with Washington Sundar’s unbeaten half-century being the standout effort. The top order failed to pile up runs in the final, leaving the already-struggling middle order exposed.

“I think if we had got 180–190, it would have been a good match. We lost a couple of early wickets and then we kind of lost the momentum in the middle; we couldn’t really get going. But then we knew we are playing the finals. 150, 160, if we get a couple of early wickets in the powerplay, we are always in the game,” Gill said before collecting the runners-up cheque.

"We couldn’t get over the line, but there are always things that you could improve on. And even if we had won the trophy, there were still things that we felt as a group that we needed to work on," he added.

For GT, it was a painful end to a strong campaign, while for RCB, it was another night of history.