On May 26, 2026, the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 would pit Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Gujarat Titans (GT). This match is being played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, with Gujarat captain Shubman Gill winning the toss and opting to bowl first.
RCB looked to take on the GT bowlers, and Venkatesh Iyer demonstrated intent with a 7-ball 19. Devdutt Padikkal maintained the trend, striking 30 runs in 19 balls with five fours, while Virat Kohli scored 43 runs in 25 balls with five fours and one six.
However, the RCB's best innings came from skipper Rajat Patidar, who counterattacked after Kohli and Padikkal perished in the same over. He scored 93* in 33 balls, including nine sixes and five fours. Krunal Pandya (43) and Jitesh Sharma (15* in 5 balls) provided him with excellent support.
RCB scored 254/5 in 20 overs, the highest total in an IPL playoff game.
In response, GT's innings never got going despite Sai Sudharsan (14) and Jos Buttler (29) looking good for a while. They lost wickets in a heap, and it was only because of 68 by Rahul Tewatia that GT managed 162 on the board. For RCB, Jacob Duffy took 3/39, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, and Krunal Pandya took two wickets each.
With this 92-run win, RCB qualified for the final of the IPL 2026, to be played in Ahmedabad on May 31. This is their second IPL final appearance, and they have the chance to emulate MI and CSK by winning back-to-back IPL titles.
On the other hand, GT will have another chance to make it into the finals. They will play in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in Mullanpur. They will face the winner of the Eliminator between SRH and RR, which will be played in Mullanpur on May 27.
Meanwhile, the cricket fraternity was all praise for a brilliant and dominating show by the RCB team and had special praise for captain Rajat Patidar for his 93*.
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