The 2022 champions, the Gujarat Titans, will enter the IPL 2026 final as underdogs against defending champions the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31.
The Titans lifted their maiden IPL title at the same venue on May 29, 2022, after beating the Rajasthan Royals in the final and four years later, they have a chance to script another memorable win under the captaincy of Shubman Gill.
Gujarat Titans will head into Sunday’s title clash as slight underdogs, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru carrying the favourites tag.
Like in most IPL seasons, Gujarat Titans emerged as one of the dominant teams from the outset in 2026. Although they began their campaign with consecutive losses to Punjab Kings and Rajasthan
Royals, they found their rhythm, reeling off three successive wins against Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders to get their season back on track.
The nervy one-run win against DC was a big turning point in GT’s campaign.
But the challenges kept coming for Gujarat Titans. Losses in their sixth and seventh games against the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru threatened to derail their momentum, but a five-game winning streak helped them consolidate their position in the upper half of the standings.
Gujarat Titans closed out the league stage with one victory and one loss in their final two games, finishing second on the points table. They ended the season with nine victories from 14 matches and a net run rate of 0.69, behind table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who finished with a superior net run rate of 0.78.
Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru split their two league-stage meetings this season. RCB claimed the first encounter by five wickets on April 24, while GT bounced back to bag a four-wicket win in the reverse fixture on April 30.
GT’s Results In IPL 2026
| Opposition | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PBKS | Mar 31 | Lost by 3 wkts |
| RR | Apr 04 | Lost by 6 runs |
| DC | Apr 08 | Won by 1 run |
| LSG | Apr 12 | Won by 7 wkts |
| KKR | Apr 17 | Won by 5 wkts |
| MI | Apr 20 | Lost by 99 runs |
| RCB | Apr 24 | Lost by 5 wkts |
| CSK | Apr 26 | Won by 8 wkts |
| RCB | Apr 30 | Won by 4 wkts |
| PBKS | May 03 | Won by 4 wkts |
| RR | May 09 | Won by 77 runs |
| SRH | May 12 | Won by 82 runs |
| KKR | May 16 | Lost by 29 runs |
| CSK | May 21 | Won by 89 runs |
| RCB (Qualifier 1) | May 26 | Lost by 92 runs |
| RR (Qualifier 2) | May 29 | Won by 7 wkts |
Skipper Gill has been Gujarat Titans’ highest run-scorer in IPL 2026. He has scored 722 runs in 15 matches at an average of 48.13 and a strike rate of 163.71. His opening partner Sai Sudharsan hasn’t been far behind, with 710 runs in 16 matches at an average of 47.33 and a strike rate of 159.55.
Besides them, Jos Buttler has also played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 507 runs in 16 matches at an average of 39 and a strike rate of 157.45.
Most Runs For GT In IPL 2026
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 15 | 15 | 0 | 722 | 104 | 48.13 | 163.71 |
| B Sai Sudharsan | 16 | 16 | 1 | 710 | 100 | 47.33 | 159.55 |
| Jos Buttler | 16 | 16 | 3 | 507 | 60 | 39.00 | 157.45 |
| Washington Sundar | 16 | 15 | 5 | 327 | 55 | 32.70 | 152.80 |
| Rahul Tewatia | 15 | 14 | 8 | 183 | 68 | 30.50 | 144.09 |
Star South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada has been GT’s star with the ball, having picked 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 9.43. Rashid Khan hasn’t been far behind, with 19 wickets from 16 games at an economy of 9.29.
Besides them, Mohammed Siraj has also played a crucial role with the ball, with 18 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of nine.
Meanwhile, Siraj remains under observation ahead of the final, with his fitness being monitored after the pacer required treatment for a shoulder problem during Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on Friday.
Most Wickets For GT In IPL 2026
| Player | Mat | Balls | Maidens | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | 16 | 370 | 1 | 582 | 28 | 20.78 | 9.43 | 13.21 |
| Rashid Khan | 16 | 317 | 0 | 491 | 19 | 25.84 | 9.29 | 16.68 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 16 | 348 | 1 | 526 | 18 | 29.22 | 9.06 | 19.33 |
| Jason Holder | 10 | 218 | 0 | 274 | 17 | 16.11 | 7.54 | 12.82 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 11 | 228 | 0 | 400 | 16 | 25.00 | 10.52 | 14.25 |
In a season where most batting units have maximised the powerplay by scoring at 11 or 12 runs per over, Gill and Sudharsan have taken a different approach, content to score at a little over nine runs an over while laying a solid foundation for the Gujarat Titans.
While that measured approach may appear old-fashioned in the powerplay, it stems from the composition of the Gujarat Titans’ batting line-up. With a fragile middle order, the responsibility of carrying the innings falls on the top three, Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler, who are expected to do the bulk of the scoring.
