Karnataka Bulldozers Win CCL 2026: Sudeep’s Team Ends 12-Year Title Drought

The story has changed at the SNR College Stadium. On Sunday, February 1, the Karnataka Bulldozers crushed the defending champions, Bengal Tigers by 6 wickets to win the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) 2026 trophy in a clinical display of strength and authority.

This comes as their third trophy as a Sandalwood-based program with the team at the forefront not in 12 years since back to back success in 2013 and 2014. For captain Kichcha Sudeep, who had guided the team to six runner-up finishes, the victory was an emotional conclusion to a decadelong journey.

The First Innings: Bowlers Shape the Tone

But winning the toss and opting to bat first were painful for the Bengal Tigers’ Jisshu Sengupta after hard hitting for half a century. With Prathap Narayan on the attacking plate, the Bulldozers' bowling operation shook the Tigers' dominant position early on. Despite the resilient half century held down by Joy Kumar Mukherjee (54 off 44 balls), Bengal faltered in gathering its hopes. Prathap's game was that wrecker-in-chief, 3 wickets bagged. Sunil Rao's 2 scalps, pivotal breakthroughs.

Eventually the Bengal Tigers were packed out for a paltry 129 runs in their 20 overs. The Chase: The Rajeev Hanu Show. Pursuing 130 for glory, the Bulldozers took an early loss in their first game with opener Nirup Bhandari crashing in the very first over. But soon the stadium filled up with cheers as Rajeev Hanu dominated. Hanu played a “Man of the Match” innings and smashed a blistering 69 runs off 35 deliveries in the gutsy game.

During the powerplay, his aggressive play took Bengal off the field, helping Karnataka emerge out of the game in dominant mode. One time Ratnadeep Ghosh made a mid-order wobble and then picked up a few quick wickets which stalled the pace, Karthik Jayaram (JK) and Manjunath, both senior players, are calm. Their final overs were made right on time with 20 balls to spare.

Legacy Cemented

Karnataka Bulldozers become one of an elite three-time champions after this win. Their 2026 journey was the epitome of “The Bulldozer Spirit” — a streak undefeated through the group stages and a hard-fought semi-final win against Chennai Kings. “We played in our heart and in one team. Bringing this trophy back to Bengaluru after 12 years is a dream fulfilled for all Sandalwood fans," said a moving Kichcha Sudeep in the presentation after the match.

Match Summary: CCL 2026 Final