RCB join MI and CSK in elite list: List of teams to win back-to-back IPL titles originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- With IPL titles in 2025 and 2026, RCB become the third franchise to win back-to-back titles.
- Chennai Super Kings were the first to achieve the feat in 2010 and 2011.
- Mumbai Indians repeated the achievement during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
- In the IPL 2026 final, chasing a target of 156 in 18 overs, RCB defeated GT by 5 wickets.
RCB join MI and CSK in exclusive IPL club
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have made their mark in IPL history. By clinching the IPL 2026 trophy, RCB become just the third team to successfully retain their trophy, placing themselves in rarefied air that was exclusive to Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians up.
Having finally broken their 18-year duck for a first-ever victory in 2025, RCB went on to replicate their success in 2026 as well.
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Teams to win back-to-back IPL titles
| Team | Seasons |
|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 2010, 2011 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2019, 2020 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2025, 2026 |
Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011)
CSK created history by becoming the first ever IPL team to retain its crown when they won the IPL once again after being crowned winners in 2010, in the year 2011.
With MS Dhoni at the helm of affairs, Chennai Super Kings became the best team in IPL’s initial years with their consistent performance.
MORE:Most IPL titles won by a player
Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020)
Mumbai Indians also got on this illustrious list almost a decade after its establishment. With the leadership of Rohit Sharma, MI won the title in 2019, following which they defended the title in 2020.
It is during this time that their domination in the IPL was due to an all-round team having match-winners in each section.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025, 2026)
Finally after all these years of trying, RCB managed to lift the IPL trophy in 2025. To add to that success, they managed to repeat as champions in 2026, thus becoming the third team in the history of the tournament to achieve this feat.
This is certainly a major accomplishment for RCB given how competitive and volatile the league is, moving from perennial contenders to the competition’s great teams.
MORE:IPL champions list: Winners from 2008 to 2026
Captains to win back-to-back IPL titles: Rajat Patidar joins Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni
At the same time, through his leadership in winning two consecutive IPL championships with RCB in 2025 and 2026, Rajat Patidar became a part of the select club of captains who have won two consecutive IPL titles.
Prior to him, only Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni had accomplished this milestone.
| Player | Team | Years |
|---|---|---|
| MS Dhoni | Chennai Super Kings | 2010, 2011 |
| Rohit Sharma | Mumbai Indians | 2019, 2020 |
| Rajat Patidar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 2025, 2026 |
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The Cricket News Opinion: Consecutive championships put RCB among the IPL greats
Back-to-back victories in the IPL are one of the surest ways of knowing whether a team is strong or not. Winning a title means that the team must be good. Defending a title means the team must have been able to keep its consistency and quality while learning how to adapt to change.
It was until recently that only Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians had won such titles before. The 2025 and 2026 wins in the IPL have definitely seen RCB join their ranks.
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