Royal Challengers Bangalore cruised to their fourth IPL final, first since 2016, after securing a massive eight-wicket win against the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on Thursday.

Virat Kohli and co chased down a below-par 102-run target with 10 overs to spare in Mullanpur after RCB's bowlers put up a top show. The 2011 finalists will now travel to Ahmedabad to play the final on June 3.

Opener Phil Salt top-scored for RCB with 56 runs off 27 balls. In the first innings, Suyash Sharma led the bowling attack by picking three prized wickets. Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Romario Shepherd, and Yash Dayal also featured in the wickets column.

Here's a look at RCB's performance in 2009, 2011 and 2016 IPL finals

RCB's performance in the 2009 IPL final

The 2009 IPL, held in South Africa, saw RCB reach their first final under captain Anil Kumble. Finishing third in the league stage with eight wins from 14 matches, RCB advanced through the semifinals by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort and Ross Taylor's 46 off 27. In the final on May 24, 2009, in Johannesburg, RCB faced Deccan Chargers (DC), led by Adam Gilchrist.

DC posted 143/6, with Herschelle Gibbs scoring 53 off 48 and Andrew Symonds contributing 33 off 21.

Chasing 144, RCB started poorly, losing Jacques Kallis and Manish Pandey early to reach 26/2. Roelof van der Merwe's 32 off 21 and Ross Taylor's 27 offered hope, but disciplined bowling from DC's Pragyan Ojha (3/28) and Harmeet Singh triggered a collapse.

RCB finished at 137/9, falling six runs short.

RCB's performance in the 2011 IPL final

In 2011, RCB, under the captaincy of Daniel Vettori, topped the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches, earning a direct spot in Qualifier 1. Despite losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in Qualifier 1, RCB bounced back, defeating Mumbai Indians by 43 runs in Qualifier 2 to reach their second IPL final.

CSK batted first in the final, posting a formidable 205/5, driven by a 159-run opening partnership between Michael Hussey (63 off 45) and Murali Vijay (95 off 52). RCB's bowling struggled, with Chris Gayle's inclusion as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes proving pivotal earlier in the season but less effective in the final.

Chasing 206, RCB faltered early, losing openers Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle within three overs. Saurabh Tiwary's unbeaten 42 off 34 provided some resistance, but RCB managed only 147/8, losing by 58 runs. Virat Kohli, then a rising star, scored 35 off 32 but couldn't anchor the chase. Chris Gayle's explosive form earned him the Man of the Tournament award, but RCB's batting collapse handed CSK their second IPL title.

RCB's performance in the 2016 IPL final

The 2016 season was a high point for RCB, led by Kohli, who delivered a record-breaking performance, amassing 973 runs in the season, the most in a single IPL campaign, including four centuries.

RCB finished second in the league stage with eight wins from 14 matches. Their playoff journey saw them defeat Gujarat Lions by four wickets in Qualifier 1 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, securing their third final appearance. The final, on May 29, 2016, in Bengaluru, pitted RCB against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

SRH posted 208/7, powered by David Warner's 69 off 38 and Ben Cutting's unbeaten 39 off 15. RCB's bowling, led by Yuzvendra Chahal and Shane Watson, struggled to contain SRH's late surge.

In response, RCB started strongly with a 114-run opening stand between Chris Gayle (76 off 38) and Virat Kohli (54 off 35). However, after Gayle's dismissal, wickets fell quickly, with AB de Villiers (5) and KL Rahul (11) failing to fire. Kohli's departure triggered a collapse, and despite a late effort from Shane Watson (26 off 16), RCB finished at 200/7, falling eight runs short.