RCB beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, defending their IPL title in a high-pressure chase. The target was tricky, the occasion was bigger, and the tension stayed till the final overs. Kohli handled it better than anyone else.
He finished unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls and controlled the chase from start to finish. He did not rush, he did not panic, and he did not let the pressure show. That knock earned him the Player of the Match award.
At 37 years and 207 days, Kohli also added his name to a special list, the oldest cricketers to win Player of the Match in an IPL final. And honestly, it fits the way IPL finals often work. Big games rarely go to youngsters alone. Experience steps in.
IPL finals often look like a young man’s game on paper, but pressure changes everything. When nerves kick in, experience takes over.
Let’s look at the five oldest players who have won the Player of the Match award in an IPL final.
1. Anil Kumble – 38 years, 219 days (2009 final)
Anil Kumble sits at the top of the list, and his performance still stands out in IPL history.
He led Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers in Johannesburg. Even though RCB lost the final, Kumble bowled like a man in complete control. He picked up 4 wickets for just 16 runs in his four overs.
The strange part? He still walked away with the Player of the Match award. That says everything about how dominant his spell was. To this day, he remains the only player from a losing team to win the award in an IPL final.
2. Virat Kohli – 37 years, 207 days (2026 final)
Kohli’s knock against Gujarat Titans felt like a masterclass in chase control.
He did not start with fireworks. He started with timing, placement, and calm batting. Once he crossed fifty — and he got there in just 25 balls — he shifted gears at the right moment.
He stayed till the end and finished the job for RCB. No panic shots. No unnecessary risks. Just clean, controlled batting under pressure.
That is what made the difference in the final.
3. Faf du Plessis – 37 years, 94 days (2021 final)
Faf du Plessis played a huge role in Chennai Super Kings’ 2021 title win.
He scored 86 off 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai. He did not just score runs, he controlled the innings. He rotated the strike, punished loose balls, and kept CSK ahead of the game.
CSK’s total turned out to be too strong, and Faf ended the night with the Player of the Match award.
4. Shane Watson – 36 years, 344 days (2018 final)
Shane Watson delivered one of the most famous IPL final knocks ever.
He started slowly, almost looked under pressure, and then suddenly shifted gears. What followed was pure destruction. He smashed an unbeaten 117 off 57 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He took the match away in a matter of overs and made the chase look one-sided. That innings still ranks among the greatest in IPL final history.
5. Krunal Pandya – 34 years, 71 days (2025 final)
Krunal Pandya rounds off the list with a strong all-round performance in the IPL 2026 final against Gujarat Titans. He took 1 wicket and gave away just 23 runs in his quota of 4 overs (5.75 economy rate).
Overall, he took 14 wickets in 16 matches for RCB in the title-winning campaign. Besides that, he chipped in with cameos for the team. He scored 226 runs and maintained a strike rate of 145.81 and an average of 37.67.
