Sunil Gavaskar argues that the IPL 2026 final should have been delayed after the Gujarat Titans reached Ahmedabad very late because of bad weather. Gavaskar feels the schedule gave Royal Challengers Bengaluru a clear rest advantage, as RCB had been in the city for several days before the title match.
Gavaskar stressed the impact of travel and fatigue on performance. Gavaskar said, as quoted by India Today, "Yes, definitely. Make no mistake, players require rest. You didn't know when your flight was taking off, so there was anxiousness. Which means you are mentally also off apart from the physical toll. " Gavaskar also highlighted that the organisers had already set a reserve day.
IPL 2026 Final: Travel Delay For GT
Gavaskar pointed out that the reserve day for the IPL final was
scheduled on Monday (June 1). Gavaskar added, "So, I thought with a reserve day in place, considering what happened was completely unexpected, I thought they could have pushed the final to tomorrow, just to be a little fair to the Gujarat Titans team," underlining concerns about equal preparation time.
Gujarat Titans were due to fly from Mullanpur and land in Ahmedabad by early afternoon on Saturday. Poor weather disrupted those plans. The squad eventually arrived in Ahmedabad around 10:45 pm on Saturday, and players reportedly checked into the team hotel close to midnight, reducing recovery time before the IPL final.
'We Got Enough Time': RCB Skipper Admits More Rest Time Before Finals
Rajat Patidar accepted that Royal Challengers Bengaluru enjoyed slightly better preparation before the IPL final. Patidar said, "Yes, because after Qualifier 1 we got enough time to rest and recover. At the same time, GT are coming straight from Qualifier 2," he said. "There is some sort of advantage, but not a huge one because both teams are very good and have played excellent cricket. "
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had already reached Ahmedabad after beating Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday (May 26). During that match, RCB built strong momentum. Gujarat Titans instead travelled soon after Qualifier 2, where GT defeated Rajasthan Royals in a tense chase of 215, reaching 219/3 in 18.4 overs through Shubman Gill's 53-ball 104.
At the toss on Sunday, Shubman Gill stated that Gujarat Titans felt ready and fresh for the IPL final despite the rushed schedule. GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel offered a similar view. Patel said, "Obviously, the weather was not in our control. But we keep watching. Our thinking is that we know we have come to play the IPL final. So fatigue does not matter that much. For every player, there is only one thing on their mind: to win the match for the team and make a name for themselves. So all our players are thinking in this direction because no player can get a bigger match or a better opportunity than this. "
The IPL 2026 final followed three earlier clashes between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru that season. On April 24, Sai Sudharsan scored a century for GT, but half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal guided RCB to victory. A later article also quoted Kohli's childhood coach, who said, "People mistake him as very arrogant. He is humble. "
Gujarat Titans then bowled out Royal Challengers Bengaluru for 155 on April 30 and chased the target in under 16 overs. Their next meeting came in Qualifier 1. Rajat Patidar's unbeaten 93 lifted RCB to 254, the highest total in an IPL playoff. RCB then blew away GT's top order in the powerplay, winning that game by 92 runs and setting up their longer stay in Ahmedabad.
The debate around the IPL 2026 final centres on fairness rather than performance alone. Gujarat Titans arrived late after unavoidable weather trouble, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru enjoyed more rest in Ahmedabad. With a reserve day already fixed for June 1, Gavaskar and others questioned whether shifting the match might have balanced preparation for both teams.
