RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Q1: RCB enter 2nd consecutive final, beat GT by 92 runs

Tim David takes an exceptional catch of Mohammed Siraj. This is unbelievable. And they have entered the final for the second consecutive time here. Take a bow, Rajat Patidar, for leading the side into another summit clash. He also scored 93 in 33 to change the match.

Bhuvi comes again and he bowls a slower one. Tewatia can't keep the ball down and Rajat Patidar takes a good catch going backwards. Just one wicket away now from finals berth.

There you go. A square cut by Tewatia and the ball flies for a four. He gets to his second fifty in only 33 deliveries. The frustrating continues between Tewatia and Siraj.

Tewatia has got his eye in. He should be eyeing a 50. This would be only his 2nd in IPL career. Took a long time coming, which also raises the question, how has he managed to play for so long without being consistent.

Rahul Tewatia is unleashing some leg side sixes. He is sweeping Hazlewood for sixes. This is some good batting, but it is too late now. 14 runs to end the over.

Rabada made his intentions clear. He wanted to enjoy himself in the middle, and did get a couple of boundaries. But he gets too ambitious, and pulls one towards deep midwicket. Kohli covers a lot of ground to take an excellent catch.

Just about nothing is going GTs way. Rashid Khan tries to pull a short one from Duffy, but the ball only takes the edge and Jitesh takes a simple catch.

Krunal comes into the attack and it is a miserly over to start with. GT are staring at a massive defeat, which could be biggest in the history of IPL playoffs.

Even the best of shots are falling safely in the hands of the fielders. It is a short one and Washi guides it towards third man. It looks like a certain six, before Hazlewood takes an excellent catch on the boundary.

Rasikh is relying a lot on slower balls, and Washi and Tewatia are looking to place the ball for now. They know they have lost this one, but the idea should be to bat deep.

Rasikh Salam Dar comes into the attack and has a wicket on the first ball. Sindhu presents full face of the bat, but it still manages to catch the edge, and he is caught and bowled. Wait, 5th wicket also falls. Holder is troubled by a few dots, and skies the ball eventually. He is caught by Hazlewood. It is a double-wicket maiden.

Buttler tries counter-attacking, to put some pressure on Bengaluru. It could also be the right tactic as Buttler manages to get two fours and a six. But then, Hazlewood is a class act and clean bowls him.

Bhuvi gets into the act now. Bowled with a scrambled seam, the ball comes in sharply. There is a big gap between bat and ball, and Gill is out bowled.

Luck is not favoring GT today. Duffy bowls one in the slot to be hit through point, Sai Su does that, but the bat rolls in his hand, and the bat hits the stumps. He is out for 14. A six to end the over by Buttler.

Bhuvi is swining the ball a great deal and Sai Su is struggling against the veteran. GT are in bit of a soup, they don't have the time to get their eye in. Just two runs come from the over.

There is only one way that GT should be playing and Sai Su gets a couple of boundaries against Duffy. There is an appeal for a caught behind here, and the fielding side takes a review. Not out.

The show should end soon as Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill would be eager to get on the crease. A big chase awaits them.

112*(54) vs LSG Eliminator 2022
58(42) vs RR Q2 2022
34(22) vs RR Eliminator 2024
15*(8) vs PBKS Q1 2025
26(16) vs PBKS Final 2025
93*(33) vs GT Q1 2026

There is a slight delay in the start of the proceedings, for the second innings.. a performance going on for the moment. Action will resume shortly.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru post 254/5, the highest ever total in an IPL playoff match, all thanks to Rajat Patidar's exceptional 33-ball 93 not out. RCB break Gujarat Titans record of highest total in IPL playoff. GT scored 233/3 against MI in 2023 Qualifier 2. Now, they need a miracle to chase down 255-run target.

Highest total in an IPL knockouts/Playoffs

• 254/5 RCB vs PBKS Dharamsala 2026 
• 233/3 GT vs MI Ahmedabad 2023
• 228/5 MI vs GT New Chandigarh 2025
• 226/6 PBKS vs CSK Wankhede 2014
• 222/5 CSK vs DC Chennai 2012

Since the two dropped catches, Rajat Patidar has taken his opponent out. He hits Mohd Siraj for a six and a four to move to 79 off just 28 balls.

Prasidh Krishna has removed a big threat. He cleaned up Tim David with a delivery that kept low. There is inconsistent bounce on this pitch and Prasidh got lucky. Had there been little bounce, it would have gone for a six.

Rajat Patidar hits a 21-ball half-century to punish Gujarat Titans for two missed chances in three balls. This was Patidar's 5th half-century this season.

A much-needed wicket for Gujarat Titans and they finally get something right. A slower ball on the hip and as Krunal Pandya tried to take that on, he did not get enough timing and Sai Sudharsan took the catch after fumbling. Kagiso Rabada gets his 2nd wicket as he breaks the 95-run stand. RCB 189/4.

A long 15th over comes to an end. Kulwant Khejroliya started well but he suddenly lost his rhythm in his second over. The 9-ball over produced 28 runs with both Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya joining the party. Bengaluru 168/3 after 15.

• 14.1: 1
• 14.2:1
• 14.3:N4
• 14.3: Wd
• 14.3: 4
• 14.4: N1
• 14.4: 4
  
• 14.5: 6
  
• 14.6: 4

A tough chance but it would go down as a missed opportunity. Rajat Patidar top-edged a shot behind the thrid man. Jos Buttler and Jason Holder ran after it. But it landed safely between the two. 

Two deliveries later, Patidar gave away another chance, trying to whip it to the leg side. Kagiso Rabada was there. But he could not hold on to it.

The scoring rate had dipped. But Krunal Pandya took on Prasidh Krishna for a six and a four to launch a fightback. RCB are 125/3 in 12 overs.

The two wickets in the 9th over has an effect on the run rate. Rashid Khan concedes just 3 runs in the 10th over as RCB post 99/3 in 10. Krunal Pandya and Rajat Patidar are on the crease.

A big, big blow for Bengaluru as Jason Holder strikes again. Devdutt Padikkal departs after getting a thin edge for an easy catch to Jos Buttler.

Virat Kohli falls and how! He was striking it well but Jason Holder bowled a shortish delivery outside off and as Kohli tried to pull, the ball took an inside edge and shattered the stumps. Kohli falls for 43 off 25. RCB 94/2.

Virat Kohli brings up 50-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal off 24 balls. Kohli hits Kagiso Rabada for 14 runs in the last over of the powerplay to end the powerplay at 76/1. Kohi hit 34 off 18, while Padikkal scored 23 off 11. It is RCB's highest score in the powerplay this season. RCB also hit 76/1 against SRH.

Highest Powerplay totals in IPL knockouts/Playoffs

• 100/2 CSK vs PBKS Wankhede 2014
• 84/1 Deccan vs DC Centurion 2009
• 79/0 MI vs GT New Chandigarh 2025
• 76/1 RCB vs GT Dharamsala 2026*

Despite the wicket, there is no dip in the scoring rate. Devdutt Padikkal is taking the attack to Siraj and Rabada, hitting every loose delivery for a four.

Excellent catch and RCB have lost their big-hitter Venkatesh Iyer for 19 off 7. Kagiso Rabada managed a little bit of movement, and Iyer got a top-edge. And Shubman Gill took an excellent catch at mid-off. This was Rabada's 18th wicket in the powerplay this season.

Most wickets in first six overs in an IPL edition

• 18 Kagiso Rabada (2026) 
• 17 Mohd Shami (2023)
• 16 Mitchell Johnson (2013)
• 16 Trent Boult (2020)

Venkatesh Iyer is off the mark with a boundary on the first ball. Mohd Siraj bowled a little short and outside off stump and Iyer pushed it through the covers for a 4. Gujarat Titans bowlers have taken the most wickets in the powerplay, and RCB will have to be cautious.

Virat Kohli has scored 58 and 92 in the last two matches in Dharamshala. Against GT, Kohli averages 76.66, including a century and four half-centuries in eight innings. With everything falling in place, Kohli would be the one to watch out for. He will open with Venkatesh Iyer, who scored 73 in the last outing at this venue.

Gujarat Titans made one change, bringing in Kulwant Khejroliya for Arshad Khan. 

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Impact sub options: Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

No Phil Salt for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1. Venkatesh Iyer will open with Virat Kohli. Jacon Duffy makes a return in place of Suyash Sharma. 

Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Impact Sub options: Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Kanishk Chohan, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

Rajat Patidar and Shubman Gill are in the middle for the toss. Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill calls it correctly. He wins the toss and opts to chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

RCB arrive in Dharamshala after a crushing 55-run loss to SRH in their last league match. But by then, RCB had already sealed the playoff spot. And the playoffs could be a different story. Despite injuries to Jacob Bethell and Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer has taken the opening responsibilities and scored 44 against SRH. He also smashed 73 in Dharamshala against Punjab Kings. Virat Kohli has a century and a fifty in his last three outings. Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Krunal Pandya and Tim David have played match-winning knocks. 

Their bowling, however, has gone downhill. In the last three matches, RCB have conceded on an average of 215 runs, including SRH’s 255. Josh Hazlewood conceded 0/55, Rashikh Salam gave away 52 runs for 2 wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended up with 0/51. In Dharamshala, where balls would fly for a six, RCB need their two frontline bowlers at their best. Jacob Duffy could come back in to provide additional support.

We are half an hour away from the toss at 7 PM, and it could be a crucial one. Win the toss, opt to chase would be the way to go at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, as chasing teams have won 67% of matches. It's a high-scoring, unforgiving ground for bowlers. Spinners have almost no role to play here. Pacers will get some purchase in the powerplay and that's where they have to get some wickets. As the match progresses, it gets easier for the batters. In three matches at this venue in IPL 2026 so far, only RCB have managed to win batting first. In other games, chasing teams won comfortably. 

• Powerplay run rate average: 9.33
• Middle overs run rate average: 9.43
• Death overs run rate average: 13.34

There's a specific story at the heart of this one. When GT went to Bengaluru on April 24, they were a conservative mid-table side. RCB chased down 206 that day and GT have been a different team ever since. Their run rate increased by nearly a run per over from that point. When batting first in the second half of the season, they posted 229 twice. The team that lost in Bengaluru and the team showing up in Dharamsala are genuinely not the same side.

Sai Sudharsan leads the overall run charts with 638 runs at 49.07. Shubman Gill has 451 runs at a strike rate of 167.65 in recent outings. Together, they're the most dangerous opening pair in the tournament. Rashid Khan is GT's match-winner in the spin department, and on a surface that has produced 12 wickets per match this season, he's the difference-maker. But it’s the pacers who would call the shots in Dharamshala. It’s not a venue where spinners have a lot of say. Considering GT have the best pace attack in IPL, comprising Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, along with Arshad Khan, they could dictate the pace of the game in the powerplay. 

The 1-time IPL champions have finished in the top two thrice from 2022 to 2026. They’ve won one of these Qualifier 1 matches, coming in their debut season in 2022, and reached the final on two occasions through different paths in 2022 and 2023.

	Played	Won	Lost	Win%
Overall	6	3	3	50.00
Qualifier 1	2	1	1	50.00
Eliminator	1	0	1	0.00
Qualifier 2	1	1	0	100.00
Final	2	1	1	50.00

The playoffs were introduced in the IPL 2011 season. Before that, from 2008 to 2010, the league followed the traditional semifinal and final system. Overall, RCB have played 18 matches in the playoffs, winning eight, while losing 10. 

Stat	Played	Won	Lost	Win%
Overall	18	8	10	44.44
Semifinal	2	1	1	50.00
Qualifier 1	3	2	1	66.66
Eliminator	5	2	3	40.00
Qualifier 2	3	1	2	33.33
Final	4	1	3	25.00

The HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala is brutal to the bowlers. Here, the average run rate is 10.35. In 2025, it was 11.01. That run rate tells you how high-scoring this venue is. The scoring rate gets higher at 13.34 in the death overs, and the bowlers have nowhere to hide. Both RCB and GT need their pacers at their best today. 

Overall, it’s a great venue to chase with the dew being a factor at times. But batting first isn’t as bad. Teams batting first have a win percentage of 54%, compared to chasing teams’ 46%. 

• Average 1st innings score: 198
• Run rate: 10.35
• Boundary %: 24.7%
• Sixes per 10 balls: 1.3
• Wickets per match: 12.0

An even 4-4 head-to-head record in the IPL, and this season followed that pattern exactly. Both teams won their home fixture comfortably. In Bengaluru, RCB won by 5 wickets, while Gujarat won by 4 wickets in Ahmedabad. However, having already played and won a match in Dharamshala, RCB would be the more confident unit.