Heartwarming Reunion At Narendra Modi Stadium, Virat Kohli Cracks Up With AB de Villiers Ahead Of High Stakes IPL 2026 Final

RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Final: Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) locked horns with Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT) in the high-stakes final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli Share Laugh Ahead Of IPL 2026 Final

Before the summit clash began, a heartwarming reunion took place when RCB star Virat Kohli met his former teammate AB de Villiers. The two shared a laugh, and the moment was captured by photographers on the sidelines.

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Kohli and de Villiers enjoyed an iconic partnership at RCB for 11 years, from 2011 to 2021. Together, they dominated the IPL and set several milestones. The duo holds the record for the highest partnerships in IPL history, a 229-run stand against Gujarat Lions in 2016 and a 215-run partnership against Mumbai Indians in 2015.

De Villiers played 156 matches for the Bengaluru-based franchise, scoring 4,522 runs. The former South African cricketer was also inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame in 2022.

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RCB Win Toss, Opt To Bowl In IPL 2026 Final

At the toss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, RCB won and chose to bowl against GT in the IPL 2026 final.

The Bengaluru-based franchise will be aiming to defend their IPL title at the same venue where they lifted it for the first time last year. Meanwhile, the Titans will be backed by their home crowd, which could give them an upper hand. GT are also eyeing their second IPL crown.

RCB stormed into the IPL 2026 final with a dominant 92-run win over GT in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on May 26. Gujarat bounced back in Qualifier 2, beating Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Mullanpur on May 29 to book their spot in the summit clash.

In the league stage, RCB topped the table with 18 points and a net run rate of +0.783, while GT finished second with the same points but a slightly lower NRR of +0.695.