2026-10-26 · Major update · IPL Guide newsroom
When RCB beat Punjab Kings by six runs in the 2025 final, it ended the most famous drought in franchise cricket: 18 seasons, three lost finals, no trophy. When they beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets on 31 May 2026 — chasing 156 in 18 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Virat Kohli unbeaten on 75 off 42 — they joined Chennai Super Kings (2010–11) and Mumbai Indians (2019–20) as the only franchises to defend the IPL title.
The 2026 campaign was built differently from the nearly years. RCB topped the league stage for the first time ever (18 points, NRR +0.783), then beat Gujarat by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala before repeating the result in the final. Rajat Patidar now holds two titles as captain; the squad's balance — Kohli anchoring, a settled pace attack, and contributions down the order — travelled across two auction cycles.
No team has ever won three IPL titles in a row. CSK's five titles came in two clusters; MI's five likewise. A three-peat would put Patidar's RCB alone in the record book — which is why every rival's December auction plan is, in part, an anti-RCB plan. CSK have already added Sanju Samson; KKR hold Cameron Green; Gujarat kept the core that reached the 2026 final.
The chase begins on the BCCI's target start date of 10 March 2027. Until fixtures are official, the honest status is: champions known, challengers known, schedule pending. This site will track the three-peat storyline through the auction and into the season in the updates feed.
Sources: IPL 2026 final reporting (ESPNcricinfo/NDTV Sports via search records); champions history via Wikipedia winners table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended their IPL title in 2026 — only the third back-to-back in league history. Why 2027 is now framed around one question: who stops them?
Official IPL/BCCI and franchise announcements first, then reputable reporting such as ESPNcricinfo. This post names its sources at the bottom, and unconfirmed items in it are labelled 'reported'.