Top 5 most memorable matches of IPL 2026

The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has finally come to an end, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru beating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets to retain their crown.

Another season of the IPL has breezed past, with more big moments being added to the folklore of the illustrious tournament. Like with every season, there will be games which will forever be etched in the memory of fans and experts alike, for maybe significant individual contributions or the magnitude and nervousness of the occasion. 

Here are the five most memorable matches of IPL 2026:

RCB vs MI, Match 54

Rasikh Salam Dar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Photo Source: JioStar)

In a tournament where 200-plus totals have become the norm, a nervy chase of a total close to 160 always comes as a breath of fresh air. That's what happened when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosted the Mumbai Indians in Raipur. Being put into bat, the five-time champions were dented early on a spicy pitch by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who picked up three wickets in the powerplay. Despite the early setback, they rode on the back of Tilak Varma's 57 and Naman Dhir's 47 to post a total of 166 for 7.

The eventual champions were dented in their chase, with Deepak Chahar picking up two early wickets in the powerplay, including that of Virat Kohli for a first-ball duck. Krunal Pandya stabilised the innings with a 46-ball 73 despite wickets falling around him, with Corbin Bosch picking up figures of 4 for 26. Pandya fell with two overs remaining, and RCB still needed 17. Jasprit Bumrah just conceded three runs off the penultimate over, but a mighty blow from Bhuvneshwar and runs in extras meant RCB got home with three wickets in hand off the final ball of the game.