Royal Challengers Bengaluru booked their place in the IPL 2026 final with a commanding 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala on Thursday.
Batting first, RCB piled up 254, built around skipper Rajat Patidar’s superb 93. Their bowlers then skittled GT in 19.3 overs, with Jacob Duffy claiming three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya and Rashik Salam picked up two each.
Former Indian World Cup-winner Krishnamachari Srikanth reflected on how RCB’s order put opposition bowlers and captains to the sword with their all-out-attacking approach.
“The partnership between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal has been a key for them all season long,”
“Then they have Krunal Pandya playing a catalyst knock, incredible. Krunal and Patidar
took the game away from GT completely,”
“They have decided to play an attacking brand of batting irrespective of losing wickets,”
“They just hammer the bowling. What they are doing is that they are demolishing the bowling to such an extent that the bowling side skipper and bowlers do not know what to do,”
After GT won the toss and chose to bowl, Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli put on 21 for the opening wicket before Kagiso Rabada dismissed Iyer for a brisk 19 off 7. Devdutt Padikkal then joined Kohli, and the pair steadied the innings with a 71-run partnership.
Jason Holder struck twice in quick succession for GT, removing Kohli for 43 and Padikkal for 30. Patidar and Krunal Pandya then took charge, adding 95 runs for the next wicket. Rabada eventually broke the stand by dismissing Krunal for 43 off 28.
Despite Tim David falling to Prasidh Krishna for 4, Patidar continued to attack and remained unbeaten, supported by Jitesh Sharma, who smashed 15 off 5 balls, guiding RCB to their massive total.
With the ball, RCB started strongly as Duffy removed Sai Sudharsan for 14, and Shubman Gill followed soon after, dismissed by Bhuvneshwar for just 2 off 7. Jos Buttler made 29 before Josh Hazlewood joined the wicket-takers by sending him back.
Rashik Salam struck twice, first with a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Nishanth Sindhu for 5, then dismissing Holder for a duck. Duffy added Washington Sundar for a run-a-ball 8 to his tally and completed his three-wicket haul by sending Rashid Khan back for 8 off 9.
Rahul Tewatia contributed 68 runs before Bhuvneshwar removed the left-hander, and Krunal wrapped up the innings by dismissing Rabada and Mohammed Siraj for 9 and 5 respectively, restricting GT to 162.
