Rajat Patidar could not have wished for a better birthday. The RCB captain, who turned 33 on Monday (May 1, 2026), was all smiles as he sat beside the IPL trophy in the press conference room in Ahmedabad.

“It is the best gift. Nothing can be better than this — to win the IPL for two successive years,” Patidar said. He added that while the team will celebrate the triumph, the focus will shift to “how we can do three in a row”.

The Madhya Pradesh player added that he has worked a great deal on his batting. The results were clear as Patidar looked more assertive and dominant at the crease.

“Before coming into the IPL, I spent a lot of time understanding my batting. I did proper net sessions. Sometimes, I was the only one at nets, and I needed bowlers. After that, I communicated a lot with D.K. bhai [RCB mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik] about how I could do more, trigger moments, technical changes, etc. Then I came here and executed that,” Patidar said.

Patidar stated that he drew inspiration from Faf du Plessis, his first captain at RCB. “The way Faf du Plessis presented himself, the body language, the confidence — these are things I learnt,” he said.

Speaking about the dominant show in the final, Patidar explained that dismissing the Gujarat Titans’ top-order — Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler — early proved to be crucial. “The GT batting line-up depends a lot on the top three batters. All three brought them to the final. We planned to get the top three out in the PowerPlay. We did take two wickets. They went on the back foot from there. That changed the game,” Patidar said.

The loyal and vociferous fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru celebrated throughout the night in the “right spirit” back home after their team’s back-to-back IPL triumph in Ahmedabad with the local police ensuring the “victory party” did not go out of control.

Considering the horrific stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium that caused 11 deaths during the title winning celebrations last year, the Bengaluru Police patrolled the major hotspots of the city where fans gathered after RCB’s thumping win over Gujarat Titans at Motera on Sunday (May 31, 2026) night.

With police barriers around, they danced on the streets revelling in the team’s remarkable success and their icon Virat Kohli, who smashed an unbeaten fifty to anchor the chase.

“We are happy that RCB have won back-to-back titles but it ended up being a one-sided final. We expected fight from Titans,” said a fan who was part of the victory parade.

Another fan, who had flew to Delhi due to his personal work, too joined the celebrations.

“I am a Virat Kohli fan and that is why I support RCB. Glad they both did well tonight,” he said.

As another RCB win was on the cards, the Bengaluru Police began patrolling around the main areas of the city to maintain law and order.

“It is as part of the routine security measures we have taken up in the entire city and we have requested the public, spectators, fans to enjoy in the right spirit and they should not create trouble for other peace lovers,” said city’s Commissioner of Police Seemanth Kumar.

“So Bangalore you know is a peaceful city where people enjoy to go around and we don’t want that enjoyment to be spoiled by some elements who want to create trouble.

“So we have issued strict instructions and as per that instruction our police were patrolling the area and special drives were being taken up for drunken driving and various roads which were earlier where high speed vehicles used to go, we have closed those roads,” he added.

In Ahmedabad, the players and their families too let their hair down after a two-month long IPL campaign. Kohli charged up a festival like atmosphere entering the dance floor with his wife Anushka Sharma. For captain Rajat Patidar, the win was the ideal birthday gift.

In that moment of joy, Patidar did not forget the fans who tragically lost their lives last season.

At the Narendra Modi Stadium, the RCB fans outnumbered the supporters of the home team, a familiar sight in venues around India.

“We don’t have seven home games, we have 14,” said Kohli acknowledging the fans’ priceless support.

The stampede last year had shaken the entire country with the tragic turn of events resulting in the Chinnaswamy Stadium getting deprived of top-flight cricket for nearly eight months.

After several rounds of discussions, inspections and renovation works, the Karnataka Government and the BCCI green lighted the return of cricket to the fabled venue.

As a mark of respect for the departed souls, RCB players wore jersey No.11 during match days and the franchise in association with the KSCA also marked 11 permanent seats in honour of the stampede victims.

Bengaluru city police on Friday (May 29, 2026) issued an advisory urging the public to avoid bursting crackers, holding road celebrations, creating disturbances or engaging in fights after the IPL 2026 final on May 31.

It said that as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have reached the final of the TATA IPL 2026 cricket tournament, the public has been instructed to strictly follow safety guidelines.

Once the final result is announced, the public should not engage in any kind of celebrations in public places, the police said, adding that maintaining law and order, public peace, and safety is the responsibility of every citizen.

According to the advisory, LED walls facing roads shall not be installed without prior permission from the concerned authorities, and existing LED walls should not telecast the match.

Screens must not be installed outside malls, pubs, or other establishments in a manner that makes them visible to the public for viewing the final.

Bursting crackers and using dangerous materials is prohibited. Peace and discipline must be maintained in crowded areas, the advisory stated.

Police urged people to strictly follow instructions and guidance issued by traffic officials.

Bike rallies, over-speeding, stunts, misuse of horns, and road blockages have been prohibited, the police said.

People are advised not to consume alcohol in public places or create disturbances, engage in fights, or behave indecently.

The police also warned the public against sharing provocative posts, hateful messages, or rumours on social media.

“Under the pretext of the match result, fans of other teams should not be provoked, insulted, or engaged in behaviour that may lead to fights,” the advisory stated.

The final will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which can accommodate more than 1,30,000 spectators.

The advisory comes in the backdrop of a stampede in June 2025 near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that left 11 people dead and 33 injured during RCB victory celebrations.

The IPL 2026 final has been moved from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad, it was announced on Wednesday (May 6, 2026). 

Dharamshala will host Qualifier 1, and New Chandigarh will host the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, leaving Bengaluru completely out of the mix in the playoff schedule.