RCB Vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: RCB Storm Into IPL 2026 Final With Dominant Win Over GT

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have booked their place in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on May 31 and will now get a four-day break as they prepare to defend their title. 

Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, remain alive in the tournament and will face the winner of tomorrow’s Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in New Chandigarh.

That’s all from our live coverage of Qualifier 1. Thank you for following along with us, and we’ll be back tomorrow for live updates from the Eliminator. Till then it's goodbye and goodnight. 

Rajat Patidar (RCB captain and Player of the Match): It was a super game for us. The way everyone was striking, it was good for us. You have to show body language, that was there for every batter. Big stage, the way we dominated it was superb. Starting, I take 8-10 ball how the wicket is playing. After that, I am not worried about my wicket. Wicket wasn't that easy to get under the ball and hit sixes. We had to get their top three out in the powerplay.
 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Purple Cap Holder - 26 wickets):  I think a lot of credit goes to the men behind the scenes, the kind of plans and the way we executed those plans. The experience of Hoff and me is useful, but the support staff's support has been outstanding. They set-up the plans and we're executing. I can say we're data informed, if there's places w\here we can improve, we dio refer it, but we don't go 100%. We make a lot of effort not to give room, get those LBWs and bowled, we do a lot of planning.
 

Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans captain): (On whether the pitch surprised him) I mean, not really. I think we were going pretty well up until the 12th, 13th over, and I don't think our fielding was at par, dropping a couple of catches, and then our ground fielding was not up to the mark.

(On learnings from this game) Yeah, definitely, you know, this is, like you said, one of those games that we'd like to forget and start over in Mohali.

(On the fielding errors) No, it's definitely something that we do address in the team meetings and also in the practice sessions. But like I said, I don't think it was a day, the intensity was right there, but under pressure situations, we were not up to the mark.

(Whether he was confident walking out to bat in the chase?) I mean, it's all about getting a good start, you know. If you get a good power play and on a ground like this we know the ball travels and the outfield is also very quick. So if you would have gotten off to a good start in the power play, any target with the kind of way the wicket was playing and the kind of ground that we were playing at, it could have been chaseable.

(On Sudharsan's dismissal) Yeah, I mean, you don't see that kind of dismissal very often. So that was very unfortunate.

That was some catch from Tim David to seal the result. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru book their place in the IPL 2026 final after completing a commanding victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1.

Krunal Pandya seals the result by dismissing Mohammed Siraj, with Tim David this time completing a sharp catch in the deep. Siraj launched the ball high but without much distance as David went charging in from mid-off and put in a full-length dive to take a superb catch. Mohammed Siraj c Tim David b Krunal Pandya 5 (13)

RCB now advance directly to the IPL 2026 final after a dominant performance with both bat and ball.

GT 162/10 after 19.3 overs. 
 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar finally ends Rahul Tewatia’s fighting knock with RCB captain Rajat Patidar taking a sharp catch at extra cover.

Tewatia departs for 68 off 43 balls after attempting to clear the in-field against a slower delivery from Bhuvneshwar. He ends up slicing it towards Patidar who does well to run towards the boundary and take a sharp overhead catch. Rahul Tewatia c Rajat Patidar b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 68 (43) 

Prasidh Krishna arrives at the crease and manages a boundary through the off side to get off the mark. RCB are now within touching distance of back-to-back finals. 

GT 161/9 after 19 overs

Rahul Tewatia continues to fight deep into the chase with another aggressive over against Rasikh Salam Dar.

Tewatia first launches a slower delivery over deep midwicket for SIX before carving another boundary through the off side off the very next delivery. Rasikh, however, still manages to create pressure with a series of dot balls and even draws an edge from Tewatia but it doesn't carry to the keeper. 

GT 156/8 after 18 overs. 

Josh Hazlewood returns to the attack for his final over. Tewatia pulls the 1st ball to deep square leg and refuses the single. 

He then slices the next ball expertly past point to bring up his FIFTY with a boundary. It's only his second IPL half-century. 

Hazlewood digs it short as the 3rd ball hits Tewatia on his mid-riff region. The southpaw guides the 4th delivery past square leg for FOUR. He then takes the single off the 5th delivery. 

Siraj drives the last ball to cover and doesn't take the single. 

GT 143/8 after 17 overs. 
 

Rahul Tewatia keeps swinging for Gujarat Titans despite the steep asking rate, this time taking a couple of boundaries against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

After turning down a single early in the over, Tewatia sweeps a full toss through backward square leg for FOUR before dispatching a slower delivery over the same region for SIX. Bhuvneshwar still manages to keep things relatively controlled outside those two scoring shots, while Mohammed Siraj is left to face the final delivery of the over and survives. 

11 runs come off the over. 

GT 134/8 after 16 overs. 

Krunal Pandya pulls things back for RCB after Rahul Tewatia’s counterattack, conceding just two runs in the over.

Mohammed Siraj struggles to get Krunal away, managing only a single while repeatedly being tied down by the spinner. Tewatia also manages just a single as GT fail to maintain momentum after that brief burst of boundaries against Josh Hazlewood.

GT 123/8 after 15 overs. 

Rahul Tewatia continues to provide some late resistance for GT with an aggressive over against Josh Hazlewood.

After being beaten for pace early in the over, Tewatia responds with a scoop over fine leg for FOUR before swiping a low full toss over deep square leg for SIX. He then finishes the over with another expertly placed boundary between backward point and short third man.

14 runs come off the over. Gujarat Titans need 134 runs in 36 balls now. 

GT 121/8 after 14 overs. 

Romario Shepherd who came in as an impact sub for Jacob Duffy now enters the attack and Rahul Tewatia greets him with back-to-back boundaries off the first two balls to bring up GT's 100. 

Tewatia then launches Shepherd over deep square leg for SIX on the 4th delivery.

GT 107/8 after 13 overs. 

The GT collapse continues as Krunal Pandya picks up another wicket for RCB after dismissing Kagiso Rabada with a shorter delivery. 

Rabada starts the over aggressively with a powerful boundary through midwicket, but Krunal responds with another bumper that the GT batter mistimes towards long-on. Virat Kohli races across from the boundary and makes no mistake with the catch. Kagiso Rabada c Virat Kohli b Krunal Pandya 9 (5) 

Mohammed Siraj walks out and confidently pulls another bumper from Krunal through fine leg to get off the mark with FOUR. 

GT 92/8 after 12 overs. 

Jacob Duffy continues RCB’s dominant start, sending back Rashid Khan to leave Gujarat Titans seven down in the chase.

Rashid briefly provides some resistance with a powerful SIX over deep midwicket, but Duffy responds immediately with a sharp short ball that forces a top edge through to Jitesh Sharma behind the stumps on the 3rd delivery. Rashid Khan c Jitesh Sharma b Jacob Duffy 8 (9)

Kagiso Rabada walks out to the crease and gets off the mark with a strong pull through backward square leg for FOUR.

Duffy finishes his spell with figures of 3/39 as GT’s chase continues to unravel.

GT 83/7 after 11 overs. 

Krunal Pandya, comes into the attack for the 10th over. He starts off well with two dots in a row to Rashid. 

The GT batters manage to rotate strike on the next four balls as Krunal starts off with a very tidy over. Just 4 runs come off it. 

Gujarat Titans now need 185 runs in 60 balls to win. 

GT 70/6 after 10 overs. 
 

Jacob Duffy adds another breakthrough for RCB after removing Washington Sundar on the 2nd delivery.

Rahul Tewatia begins the over with a single before Duffy strikes immediately after with a short-ball trap. Sundar attempts to ramp the delivery over the in-field but only finds Josh Hazlewood at deep third man. Washington Sundar c Josh Hazlewood b Jacob Duffy 8 (8)

Rashid Khan then survives an awkward bouncer first ball, with the ball looping off his shoulder and landing safely in front of the wicketkeeper.

GT are caught in tight spot at the end of the ninth over with an ominous looking scoreline. 

GT 66/6

Gujarat Titans finally get a slightly productive over after Washington Sundar capitalises on a free hit against Rasikh Salam Dar.

Rasikh begins the over with good control but loses rhythm midway through with a wide, a no-ball and another wide in succession. Washington makes the most of the free hit by heaving a slower delivery over midwicket for FOUR, while Rahul Tewatia continues to rotate strike at the other end.

The asking rate is not 16 per over for GT as they need 191 from 72 balls to win.  

GT 64/5 after 8 overs. 

Josh Hazlewood follows up that dominant powerplay performance with another disciplined over as Gujarat Titans continue to struggle.

Hazlewood restricts Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar to just two singles as Tewatia faces four dots in a row. 

GT 53/5 after 7 overs. 

Rasikh Salam Dar enters the attack and blows the game wide open for RCB with a stunning double-wicket maiden as Gujarat Titans collapse inside the powerplay.

The pacer first removes Nishant Sindhu with a sharp return catch off his own bowling on the 1st delivery. Sindhu looks to flick but gets a thick top-edge back to the bowler who makes no mistake. Nishant Sindhu c and b Rasikh Salam Dar 5 (3) 

Rasikh then strikes again three deliveries later as Jason Holder miscues a pull straight to Josh Hazlewood at mid-on. Jason Holder c Josh Hazlewood b Rasikh Salam Dar 0 (3)

The 26-year-old closes out the over with a dot to Rahul Tewatia as GT lose half their side in the powerplay. 

GT 51/5 after 6 overs. 

Josh Hazlewood delivers a massive breakthrough for RCB as he ends Jos Buttler’s aggressive cameo.

Buttler begins the over aggressively with three back-to-back boundaries. He slaps the 2nd ball past mid-on for FOUR and lifts the next ball over long-on for a towering SIX before driving through extra cover on the 4th delivery. 

However, Hazlewood has the last laugh as the RCB pacer responds with a slower leg-cutter that skids through Buttler’s attempted cut shot and crashes into the stumps on the 5th delivery. Jos Buttler b Josh Hazlewood 29 (11)

GT 51/3 after 5 overs. 

BOWLED HIM! RCB tighten their grip on Qualifier 1 as Bhuvneshwar Kumar castles Shubman Gill with the very first delivery. Bhuvi slips in a length delivery that seams back in and beats the attempted slog to hit the middle stump. Shubman Gill b Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2 (7)

Nishant Sindhu, left handed bat, walks out to the crease.

Jos Buttler attempts to counterattack with a boundary off the 4th delivery, while Nishant Sindhu also finds the fence on the last ball of the over as 10 runs and a wicket come off it. 

GT 37/2 after 4 overs. 

RCB receive a massive gift and they take it with both hands happily extended after Sai Sudharsan’s promising start comes to a bizarre end.

Sudharsan looked in fluent touch, pulling Jacob Duffy for FOUR on the 2nd delivery. The GT opener then slices a back-of-length delivery past point but loses grip of his bat in his follow through, as it bounces off the turf and crashes back into the stumps. Sai Sudharsan hit wkt b Jacob Duffy 14 (9)

The dismissal hands RCB an important early breakthrough in the massive chase, however, Jos Buttler responds immediately as he gets off the mark with a FOUR and a SIX off the final two balls to keep GT moving.

GT 27/1 after 3 overs. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivers a disciplined second over for RCB, conceding just two runs while keeping Shubman Gill under pressure early in the chase.

The experienced pacer beats Gill with a skiddy delivery that narrowly misses the off stump before ending the over with back-to-back dot balls to the GT captain.

Sai Sudharsan manages the only single from the over, while Bhuvi spills one wide down leg. 

GT 13/0 after 2 overs. 

Gujarat Titans begin their chase with a clear show of intent with Sai Sudharsan smashing back-to-back boundaries off Jacob Duffy on the first two deliveries. 

Sudharsan first drives crisply through the off-side before finding the fence again with another confident stroke through cover to put immediate pressure back on RCB. Shubman Gill, meanwhile, survives an early appeal 'caught behind' after RCB successfully review a wide call that confirms the ball brushed his pads.

GT 11/0 after the first over. 

Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill walk out to the crease. The duo recently equalled Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers' record for the most 100 partnerships in IPL history, with their 10th century stand.

Sai Sudharsan is on strike against Jacob Duffy who will open the attack.

The floodlights are back on at the HPCA Stadium as players begin warming up for the second-innings following an extended mid-innings break in Dharamshala.

The interval featured a violin performance, laser show and fireworks display, keeping the crowd entertained after RCB’s record-breaking first innings total. With the off-field celebrations now over, Gujarat Titans are getting set to put on a record chase if they want to secure their place in the finals tonight. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into the innings break firmly in control after posting a record IPL playoffs total of 254/5 against Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.

Venkatesh Iyer set the tone early with a quickfire 19 off seven deliveries before Virat Kohli added 43 off 25 and Devdutt Padikkal contributed 30 off 19 to power RCB through the powerplay. Jason Holder briefly pulled GT back into the contest with the wickets of Kohli and Padikkal in the same over, but Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya quickly turned momentum back in Bengaluru’s favour with a 95-run stand.

Krunal struck 43 off 28, while Patidar made the most of an early reprieve after being dropped on 20, eventually finishing unbeaten on 93 off just 43 deliveries.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru finish with a record-breaking 254/5, the highest total ever posted in IPL playoffs history, after a brutal finish led by captain Rajat Patidar.

Patidar remains unbeaten on 93 off just 43 deliveries, narrowly missing out on a century after hammering Prasidh Krishna for two SIXES in the final over. 

There is also late drama as Patidar survives a run-out scare, when running back for 3 runs. Jos Buttler fails to collect the throw cleanly behind the stumps with Patidar well short of safety. Jitesh Sharma plays his part too as he finishes unbeaten on 15 off 5. 

The total surpasses Gujarat Titans’ 233/3 against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023, setting GT a record target in Qualifier 1.

RCB 254/5 after 20 overs. 

Here's a look at Rajat Patidar's back-to-back SIXES off Kagiso Rabada

Former RCB man Mohammed Siraj returns to the attack and is immediately taken apart by Patidar who slices the 1st ball over backward point for SIX before flicking the next ball through midwicket for FOUR. 

Jitesh then ends the over with a bang as he gets off the mark with a slice past backward point for FOUR on the 5th delivery. He then lifts the last ball over long-on for SIX. 21 runs come off the over. 

RCB 235/5 after 19 overs. 

Prasidh Krishna returns to the attack and delivers a strong response for Gujarat Titans after removing Tim David in a disciplined over at the death.

The GT pacer keeps both Rajat Patidar and David quiet with yorkers and slower deliveries before finally striking on the last ball of the over. David swings across the line but misses completely as the ball crashes into middle stump.

Patidar still manages to find a boundary during the over after Kulwant Khejroliya misfields at short fine leg, as 10 runs and a wicket come off the over. 

RCB 214/5 after 18 overs. 

Rajat Patidar continues RCB’s late charge with a stunning half-century off just 21 deliveries, this time taking on GT's other strike-bowler, Kagiso Rabada.

Rabada initially provides GT a breakthrough by dismissing Krunal Pandya off the very first delivery, with Sai Sudharsan completing the catch at deep mid-wicket. Krunal Pandya c Sai Sudharsan b Kagiso Rabada 43 (28)

Tim David walks out to the middle and gets off the mark with a single. Captain Patidar immediately shifts momentum back towards RCB, pulling Rabada for SIX to bring up his fifty before making it back-to-back SIXES with a beautiful hit over cover off the back foot. 15 runs come off the over as RCB surge past the 200-run mark. 

RCB 204/4 after 17 overs. 

RCB continue their assault with Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya this time taking apart Rashid Khan in a massive over worth 21 runs.

Patidar sets the tone with a towering SIX over long-on before Krunal launches a slog sweep into the stands at mid-wicket. The RCB captain then finishes the over in style, stepping out to send Rashid inside out over cover for another maximum.

After a quiet start to his spell, Rashid suddenly finds himself under pressure as Bengaluru surge closer towards the 200-run mark.

RCB 189/3 after 16 overs.

After an impressive start in his first over, Kulwant Khejroliya is handed a harsh reality check as Patidar and Krunal tear into the GT pacer in a chaotic 28-run over in Dharamshala.

Khejroliya starts decently with just singles off the first two balls. The over unravels quickly then with a high full-toss which after review is given as a no-ball and free-hit, that results in a wide, a FOUR off the bat of Krunal and then another no-ball this time for overstepping. The RCB captain takes charge for the second free-hit, lofting it over mid-off for FOUR. He then launches the next ball over long leg for SIX before ending the over with a flick over mid-on for FOUR. 

RCB 168/3 after 15 overs. 

Gujarat Titans let RCB off the hook after a couple of missed opportunities in the field.

Rajat Patidar survives first after a leading edge falls safely between Jos Buttler and Jason Holder at third man. Patidar punishes GT immediately with a whipped boundary over short fine leg on the 2nd delivery.

Kagiso Rabada then puts down a tough running chance in the deep off the 3rd delivery and Krunal Pandya this time adds another FOUR through backward point to rub salt in GT's wounds. 

12 runs come off the over. 

RCB 140/3 after 14 overs. 

Left-arm fast, Kulwant Khejroliya, comes into the attack and makes an immediate impact for GT. Playing his first game of the season, Khejroliya concedes just three singles in a tidy first over for Gujarat Titans.

Krunal Pandya struggles to break free against the left-arm pacer’s change of pace and tight lines, facing three back-to-back dots in the over. Rajat Patidar manages to comfortably to rotate strike, but GT once again manage to slow RCB’s momentum without any boundaries conceded. 

RCB 128/3 after 13 overs. 

Prasidh Krishna, right-arm fast, comes into the attack. He stars off the over really well, with just three runs coming off the first four balls. Prasidh even draws a thick inside edge from Patidar but it only bounces back to Buttler. 

Krunal Pandya then injects some momentum back into the RCB innings with an aggressive finish to the over. Krunal takes on Prasidh with a lofted boundary over mid-off before scooping a short ball over the wicketkeeper for SIX. 

RCB 125/3 after 12 overs. 

Captain Patidar steps up to give RCB a much-needed momentum boost, launching Jason Holder over deep mid-wicket to bring up the team’s 100 on the 1st delivery of the over. They take singles off the next three balls. 

Krunal then gets his first boundary of the night as he finishes the over with a flick over short fine leg to make it 13 runs off the over. 

RCB 112/3 after 11 overs. 

Gujarat Titans continue to pull momentum back after Jason Holder’s double strike, with Rashid Khan following it up with another tight over in Dharamshala.

Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya need to rebuild that momentum, but Rashid keeps the pressure on with his variations. Krunal faces three dot balls in succession as GT slow RCB’s scoring rate significantly after the explosive powerplay.

RCB 99/3 after 10 overs. 

Jason Holder delivers a massive momentum shift for Gujarat Titans after dismissing both Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal in the same over at Dharamshala. That over from Rashid helps build the pressure and RCB stumble in the very next over. 

Kohli falls first as he looks to pull but drags the short delivery back onto his stumps, on the 2nd delivery of the over. Virat Kohli b Jason Holder 43 (25) 

Holder then strikes again two balls later as Padikkal edges behind to Jos Buttler while attempting to guide the ball towards third man. His captain Rajat Patidar encourages Padikkal to review but there's a clear edge and RCB lose both the man and a review. Devdutt Padikkal c Jos Buttler b Jason Holder 30 (19) 

RCB suddenly slip after a dominant start, with Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya now tasked with rebuilding the innings.

RCB 96/3 after 9 overs. 

Rashid Khan delivers an immediate impact after being introduced into the attack, conceding just six runs in his opening over to slow down RCB’s rapid scoring rate.

Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal continue to rotate strike comfortably, but Rashid keeps both batters quiet with a tight line and quicker variations through the middle overs.

Finally a good over for GT. 

RCB 92/1 after 8 overs. 

Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal continue to pile pressure on Gujarat Titans after RCB’s explosive powerplay. Kohli moves to 40 off just 21 deliveries after pulling Jason Holder through backward square leg for another boundary, while Padikkal keeps the scoreboard ticking.

The pair also bring up a 65-run partnership off only 30 balls as GT struggle to slow down RCB’s scoring rate. Holder concedes just one boundary in the over but still 10 runs come off it. 

RCB 86/1 after 7 overs. 

Kohli closes out the powerplay with an aggressive over against Kagiso Rabada as RCB race to 76/1 after six overs in Dharamshala.

Kohli begins the over with a boundary over mid-wicket before pulling Rabada powerfully through the leg-side for another FOUR. He then brings up a rapid 50-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal as he goes for the pull but ends up getting a big top-edge on the short delivery that sends it flying back over the wicketkeeper for SIX.

Rabada still manages beat Kohli's edge once in the over, but RCB firmly hold the momentum at the end of the powerplay.

RCB 76/1 after 6 overs. 

RCB maintain the scoring rate in the powerplay despite the introduction of Jason Holder to the attack. Padikkal pulls Jason Holder powerfully to the deep mid-wicket fence after earlier rotating strike with Virat Kohli at the other end.

There is a moment of tension on the final ball of the over as Kohli taps one softly to cover and races off for a risky single. Washington Sundar misses the direct hit at the bowler’s end and the overthrow allows RCB to pick up extra runs as they run FIVE. A direct-hit would've been curtains for Kohli. 

RCB 62/1 after 5 overs. 

RCB continue their aggressive start despite the early wicket, with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal putting pressure back on Kagiso Rabada. Kohli begins the over with a delicate glance to the fine leg fence before Padikkal takes over with three back-to-back boundaries. 

Padikkal first flicks Rabada through backward square leg before guiding another boundary past short third man. He then carves one through backward point to cap off an expensive over for GT.

RCB bring up the 50-run mark inside four overs in Dharamshala.

RCB 50/1 after 4 overs. 

Devdutt Padikkal, left handed bat, comes to the crease as Siraj continues. 

Virat Kohli responds immediately after the loss of Venkatesh Iyer, driving Mohammed Siraj elegantly over mid-off for his first boundary of the evening. Kohli then adds a couple more runs through backward point as RCB look to rebuild momentum in the powerplay.

Siraj tests Padikkal with some sharp seam movement, rapping him on the pads with consecutive deliveries before the southpaw gets off the mark with a lofted drive over mid-off for FOUR. 

RCB 32/1 after 3 overs. 

Kagiso Rabada makes an immediate impact for Gujarat Titans as he sends back Venkatesh Iyer in his opening over.

Kohli opts for a cautious approach against the GT pace spearhead early in the over, with Rabada beating the edge on a couple occasions. Kohli chops the 5th delivery to point for a quick single.

Rabada was taken on by Iyer, who shuffled across to scoop him for a SIX over fine leg.

However, the GT pacer responded straight away. Iyer attempted another aggressive stroke across the line but only managed a top edge towards mid-off, where Shubman Gill completed a well-judged running catch.

Iyer departs after a quickfire 19 off seven deliveries, handing GT their first breakthrough in Dharamshala.

Venkatesh Iyer c Shubman Gill b Kagiso Rabada 19 (7) 

RCB 21/1 after 2 overs. 

RCB get off to a flying start in Qualifier 1, with Venkatesh Iyer taking on Mohammed Siraj in the opening over at Dharamshala.

Iyer starts off with back-to-back FOURs on the first two deliveries before punching the fourth delivery powerfully past mid-off for a third boundary in the over. 

He finally takes a single on the 5th delivery to bring Kohli on strike. Kohli taps it to point to get off the mark with a single and retain strike. 

RCB 14/0 after 1 overs. 

The players are out in the middle for Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala, with Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer set to open the batting for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Former RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj has the new ball in hand for Gujarat Titans as the playoff clash gets underway.

Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans): We're gonna bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, you know, but we have seen and in this ground particularly, there is a bit of dew in the second innings, so it's always good to have a total on the board and a big win and then try to chase it down. I think, this match is all about taking the equation out of the game. We have been playing some really good cricket and hopefully we'll continue to do so. I've played a lot here in the under 14, under 16 days. I've spent quite a bit of time here, so yeah, hopefully it's gonna be a good use of us. And yes, it is one of the prettiest grounds, in the world. We have one change. Kulwant comes in in place of Arshad Khan.

Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru): I think, to be honest, the wicket looks pretty good. It's pretty hard. It will come nicely on the bat, so I think it will not change in 40 overs. So we'll try to put a good total on the board and keep them under pressure. I think the first qualifier game is, I think it's a nice game to go straight in the final after winning this game, but we are just taking this one game at a time. We'll give our best in this game. I think we've played good cricket and we are just focusing more on our strength, rather than focusing more on the opposition. So yeah, focusing more on the strength is our motto this year. I think the surface looks pretty good. It's pretty hard. There's no grass cover on it, I think so. It will be nice to bat on.

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill wins the toss and opts to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. 

Both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans are expected to field near full-strength lineups for Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala.

RCB’s probable XI features the returning Phil Salt alongside Virat Kohli at the top.

GT, meanwhile, are likely to rely on their established top-order trio, with Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada leading the bowling attack. Mohammed Siraj is also set to face his former franchise in a high-pressure playoff clash.

RCB vs GT Possible Playing XI

RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar (capt.), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Rashik Salam, Josh Hazlewood.

GT: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (capt.), Jos Buttler, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj. 
 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s run to Qualifier 1 has once again been anchored by Virat Kohli, who crossed the 500-run mark for a fourth straight season to provide consistency at the top of the order. RCB have also been boosted by the return of Phil Salt ahead of the playoffs, with the England opener having scored 202 runs in six innings before suffering a finger injury during the league stage. Devdutt Padikkal has added further depth to the batting lineup with 433 runs, including three half-centuries.

RCB’s bowling attack has been led by the experienced pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam. Bhuvneshwar enters Qualifier 1 as the joint-leading wicket-taker of IPL 2026 with 24 wickets, while Hazlewood has claimed 12 wickets despite arriving midway through the campaign. Rasikh, meanwhile, has emerged as one of RCB’s standout performers with 14 wickets in 10 matches during a breakthrough season.

Gujarat Titans head into Qualifier 1 on the back of a season built around the consistency of Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. Sudharsan has led the scoring charts with 638 runs, while Gill has closely followed with 616 in another strong campaign as captain. Buttler has added further stability with 469 runs, making GT’s top order one of the most productive batting units of IPL 2026.

With the ball, Kagiso Rabada has spearheaded the attack with 24 wickets, joint-most in the tournament alongside RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Rashid Khan has continued to control the middle overs with 19 wickets, while Mohammed Siraj has chipped in with 17 wickets in an effective all-round bowling effort from GT this season.

The tournament’s leading run-scorer, Sai Sudharsan spoke about the mindset behind his prolific IPL 2026 campaign for GT while speaking to the broadcasters ahead of Qualifier 1.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans enter Qualifier 1 with the head-to-head record evenly split this season.

RCB produced one of the standout chases of IPL 2026 in the first meeting, hunting down a 206-run target in Bengaluru with seven balls to spare.

GT responded in the reverse fixture at Ahmedabad, becoming the first team to bowl out RCB this season as they limited the defending champions to just 155, before securing a comfortable four-wicket win inside 16 overs.

The contrasting results add further intrigue to a playoff clash between these two evenly matched sides.

The IPL shared a cinematic preview ahead of Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, capturing the build-up to one of the biggest matches of the IPL 2026 season so far. 

A place in the IPL 2026 final and, statistically, a major edge in the title race will be on the line when Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala today.

Since the playoff system was introduced in 2011, the team winning Qualifier 1 has gone on to lift the IPL trophy in 12 of the 15 seasons, underlining the massive advantage of securing a direct route to the final.

Scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM IST, the clash brings together two of the season’s standout sides, led by Rajat Patidar and Shubman Gill, after both teams finished level on points in the league stage.