The IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad is just a few hours away, with the match scheduled to start at 7.30 pm IST.
The Rajat Patidar-led side are looking to defend the IPL title that they won in 2025 after they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS). Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, haven't won the IPL since 2022, and should they win tonight, it will be their second IPL title as well.
Both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans finished in the top two of the IPL 2026 standings, and both the teams ended with 18 points.
RCB, though, were the table-toppers after they had a superior Net Run Rate (NRR) when compared to that of Gujarat Titans (RCB had an NRR of +0.783 than compared to GT's +0.695).
The two teams, in fact, met in Qualifier 1 when RCB thumped Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Dharamsala to book a spot in the IPL 2026 final. Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, got a second shot at qualifying for the final when they took on Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2.
Rajasthan Royals had beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator to qualify for Qualifier 2.
Skipper Shubman Gill led Gujarat Titans from the front in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, slamming a 53-ball 104 to help his side chase down 215 with seven wickets and eight balls to spare. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 96, as a result, went in vain.
Over the years, a major talking point of the IPL whenever the playoffs and final approach has been that of the prize money. Back in 2008, during the inception of the IPL, the prize money for winners were just ₹4.80 crore.
That increased to ₹15 crore during the 2014-15 period, and now, that amount is ₹20 crore. Let's now take a look at the prize money details for IPL 2026.
How much will IPL champions, runners-up and other important winners get?
According to reports, the BCCI has designated a total prize pool of beyond ₹46.5 crore for IPL 2026. The team that wins the IPL 2026 title will receive a prize money of ₹20 crore, whereas the runners-up will get ₹13 crore.
The other two teams part of the IPL playoffs will also get significant cash rewards. The team that loses in Qualifier 2 will receive ₹7 crore, whereas the team that gets eliminated in the Eliminator will get ₹6.5 crore.
Franchises that finish between fifth and 10th places will not get any prize money, but they will continue to generate revenue via broadcasting deals, sponsorship revenues and ticket sales.
The Orange Cap and Purple Cap winners will also be rewarded with ₹10 lakh each. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) in every season receives ₹10 lakh whereas the Emerging Player of the Season receives ₹20 lakh.
Currently, Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the holder of the Orange Cap with 776 runs whereas Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada holds the Purple Cap with 28 wickets.
