‘Proved you can sustain it’: Tendulkar lauds RCB after historic IPL 2026 title win
Ahmedabad: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar congratulated Royal Challengers Bengaluru on their successful IPL title defence, praising the franchise for overcoming one of the toughest challenges in sport, sustaining success after reaching the top.
Following RCB’s five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final, Tendulkar took to X to acknowledge the significance of the achievement and the mentality required to remain champions.
RCB became only the third franchise in IPL history to successfully defend the trophy, having ended their long wait for a maiden title in 2025 before backing it up with another dominant campaign this season.
Tendulkar highlighted how expectations change once a team achieves its primary goal. According to the batting icon, winning a championship is one challenge, but maintaining those standards the following season is often even more demanding. He also noted how Bengaluru answered every question that came their way during the season and fully deserved their latest triumph.
“Congratulations to @RCBTweets on winning consecutive @IPL titles. One of the challenges in sport is that success changes the questions you have to answer. After winning once, the task is no longer proving you can do it, but proving you can sustain it. RCB met that challenge impressively this season. A well-deserved achievement!,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
RCB entered IPL 2026 as defending champions and handled the pressure impressively, finishing at the top of the league table before carrying their momentum through the playoffs and into the final.
RCB bowlers held GT batters to a par total of 155/8 before chasing it down with two overs to spare. Former skipper Virat Kohli stood strong throughout the chase and remained unbeaten, scoring a 42-ball 75 and rightfully claiming the Player of the Match award as RCB became just the third team, after CSK and MI, to defend the title.