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IPL 2026: How every piece of the puzzle fell into place for RCB
Every major RCB win in IPL 2026 featured a different hero. Sometimes it was Kohli. Sometimes Patidar. Sometimes Padikkal. Sometimes David. Sometimes Krunal. Sometimes Bhuvneshwar. Sometimes it was the bowlers operating as a collective unit. That was the defining characteristic of this championship side. The first IPL trophy ended one of the league's longest waits. The second confirmed something even more important. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are no longer a franchise chasing history. They may well be on their way to creating one.RCB cancel Bengaluru victory celebrations after IPL 2026 triumph amid stampede concerns
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defended their IPL title in the 2026 season, strengthening their position as one of the strongest teams in the competition. The team delivered consistent performances throughout the tournament and capped off an impressive campaign with a victory in the final. amunra.qpon
The IPL 2026 final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31. RCB defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets after chasing down a target of 156 in 18 overs. Captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that proved crucial as his team completed the chase comfortably.
RCB To Remain In Ahmedabad After IPL 2026 Title Triumph
RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan shared an important update regarding Royal Challengers Bengaluru's post-final travel plans. Juglan stated that the newly crowned IPL champions will not return to Bengaluru immediately after winning the title.
"Break - No Bengaluru return on the cards for Team RCB - players to depart for their respective places on 2nd of June - They will remain in Ahmedabad tomorrow."
Break - No Bengaluru return on the cards for Team RCB - players to depart for their respective places on 2nd of June - They will remain in Ahemdabad tomorrow
— Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) May 31, 2026
The update suggests that RCB's management has decided to keep the squad in Ahmedabad for an additional day following the IPL 2026 final. Players are now expected to leave for their respective destinations on June 2 after celebrating the franchise's second consecutive IPL title.
Virat Kohli and RCB Bowlers Star in IPL 2026 Final Triumph
In the IPL 2026 final, Rasikh Salam picked up three wickets, while Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed two wickets each. Their disciplined effort restricted Gujarat Titans to 155/8 in 20 overs.
Washington Sundar was the standout batter for Gujarat Titans, remaining unbeaten on 50 off 37 balls. RCB controlled the chase from the start. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 75 off 42 deliveries and was named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock.
Kohli finished the season as RCB's highest run-scorer, amassing 675 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 165.85. During the final, he reached his half-century in just 25 balls, registering his fastest fifty of the tournament. RCB completed the chase in 18 overs to seal a five-wicket victory.
RCB Paid Tribute To Stampede Victims Throughout The Season
RCB's maiden IPL title win in June last year was followed by tragedy when poorly planned victory celebrations led to a stampede that claimed the lives of 11 fans. The incident had a major impact on cricket in Bengaluru and raised serious concerns about crowd management and safety arrangements.
As a result, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was unable to host top-level cricket for nearly eight months. The Karnataka government and the BCCI later carried out several rounds of discussions, inspections, and renovation work before allowing cricket to return to the venue.
After receiving approval, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and RCB were permitted to host five matches at the stadium. The franchise also honored the victims throughout the season. The franchise and KSCA permanently reserved 11 seats inside the stadium in memory of the fans who lost their lives.
Also read: Ambati Rayudu approves Hardik Pandya's trade to Rajasthan Royals for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's partner
Gaikwad replaces injured Parag in India ‘A’ squad
Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has replaced injured Riyan Parag in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-Nation series in Sri Lanka, the BCCI said on Sunday.
Parag, the Rajasthan Royals skipper, had played the IPL with a hamstring injury and is expected to be out for nearly three months including rehabilitation.
The tri-nation comprising India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A will start on June 9.
"The Men`s Selection Committee has added Ruturaj Gaikwad to the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. He replaces vice-captain Riyan Parag, who has been ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury," the BCCI said in a media release.
"Riyan`s rehabilitation will be managed by the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE)," the release stated.
Updated India A squad for tri-series:
Tilak Varma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Kumar Kushagra (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy.
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Norway Chess: Wesley So takes lead as Carlsen, Keymer secure key wins
Oslo [Norway], June 1 (ANI): World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen secured a crucial win over tournament leader Alireza Firouzja, tightening the standings after round six of the ongoing Norway Chess.
Playing with the white pieces, Carlsen steadily built pressure in a tense strategic battle before converting his advantage in the endgame. The victory narrows the gap at the top and marks Firouzja’s first classical defeat of the tournament.
Wesley So secured a crucial win over Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a hard-fought encounter, handling the complications with confidence before converting his advantage in the endgame to take full points. The victory propelled the American grandmaster to the top of the standings.
In another decisive result, Vincent Keymer defeated reigning World Champion D Gukesh, maintaining the initiative for much of the game and capitalising on his chances to secure a statement win.
Following round six, Wesley So leads the Norway Chess standings, with Alireza Firouzja close behind as the race for first place remains wide open. In the women’s section, Bibisara Assaubayeva has taken sole leadership at Norway Chess Women.
Norway Chess Women delivered another tense round in Oslo, featuring one decisive classical result and two Armageddon deciders.
Reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun claimed the only classical win of the day, defeating Divya Deshmukh in a hard-fought battle. Ju gradually improved her position and converted her advantage in the endgame to secure an important victory.
Bibisara Assaubayeva and Humpy Koneru played out a closely contested classical draw before Assaubayeva triumphed in the Armageddon tiebreak to collect the extra points and reclaim sole leadership.
In another balanced encounter, Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner shared the spoils in classical play, with Zhu Jiner later winning the Armageddon game to secure additional points.
After six rounds, Assaubayeva leads the Norway Chess Women standings with 9.5 points. Divya Deshmukh is second on 8.5, while Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk are tied for third with 8 points each. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma set the dance floor on fire as as RCB celebrate historic achievement
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned their IPL 2026 title win into a full night of celebration, emotion, and pure joy in Ahmedabad. The biggest moment that took social media by storm came when Virat Kohli was seen dancing freely with his wife Anushka Sharma on the dance floor.
The power couple’s happy moment went viral everywhere on social media, and fans could just blush and shower love on them. The celebrations started right after RCB clinched back-to-back titles with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31.
RCB becomes 3rd team to win back-to-back IPL titles
With this win, RCB did something very special by defending their IPL title successfully, as they became only the third team in IPL history to win back-to-back championships. Their bowlers did a brilliant job by restricting Gujarat Titans to 155 for 8.
The target was not very big, but still needed calm batting from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru under pressure. Kohli finished the match with a brilliant unbeaten knock of 75 off 42 balls against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma Steal the Show at RCB’s Grand Title Celebration
After the historic victory, the RCB shared a video on its social media handles, where Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma completely stole the spotlight as they were soaking in the celebrations with teammates and family members. In that clip, he was seen enjoying every moment of the celebration.
Like the field, the dashing right-hander also ruled the dance floor with his dance moves. Kohli was also seen dancing happily with his wife Anushka, teammates, and support staff, including the RCB mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik.
Anushka was also seen capturing the memorable moments as she was smiling, dancing, and enjoying the victory with players and support staff and their family members. Kohli also wore a special T-shirt during the celebrations, with the message “One felt nice; we did it twice,” highlighting the achievement of winning two titles in a row.
𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 😉
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 1, 2026
Pure vibes. Wholesome. And so much more. Anushka Sharma, thank you for being our Day 1. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7Qmxxv6QtG
Krunal Pandya and Virat Kohli groove together on the dhol's beat
Well, the team celebrations were in full swing after the historic win. In another video shared by RCB, Krunal Pandya was seen dancing with the trophy as dhol beats played in the background.
Read Also: Gujarat Titans face frightening bus incident in Ahmedabad hours after IPL 2026 Final defeat
Soon, Kohli joined him wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts. The two celebrated together as the entire RCB camp enjoyed the special moment outside the team hotel.
Celebration rukenge nahi ft. Krunal Pandya. 🕺🤭😂 pic.twitter.com/s6RgvHdxaR
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 31, 2026
‘Dream Day’ for Virat Kohli!
After the match, Kohli said winning the IPL in such a fashion felt like a dream come true, as he had often imagined himself being there at the end to finish the match and hold the trophy for his team.
Kohli said after winning the Player of the Match award, “Well, it’s the stuff that you dream of. I’ve thought of this moment many times, that, you know, once when we win the IPL, I should be standing there hitting the winning runs, and tonight it was possible. So yeah, just a dream day for us.”
He added, “And as I mentioned straight after the game as well, we just felt really relaxed coming to the game today and really confident about how we wanted to go about our game and what kind of team we have. And that gives you confidence to just, you know, see any kind of situation through. But yeah, in a chase, I felt really comfortable out there knowing exactly what to do.”