IPL 2026, Qualifier 1: Patidar-powered RCB trounces Gujarat Titans to enter final

Ahead of the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 contest against Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium here on Tuesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar told reporters that he was wrongly being typecast as a spin-hitter. He reckoned his timing and shots were more suited to attacking pacers. The 32-year-old provided a devastating glimpse of that with an unbeaten, counter-attacking 33-ball 93 that helped his side earn a commanding 92-run win and qualify for a second consecutive final.

Chasing RCB’s mammoth total of 254 for five, the highest score ever in an IPL playoff encounter, the Titans could only huff and puff to 162 all out, crumbling against the opponent’s frontline pace attack.

After being asked to bat first, Venkatesh Iyer set the ball rolling with three boundaries in the first over. Virat Kohli found the going a lot tougher against Kagiso Rabada’s short-of-a-length barrage, which eventually helped the South African pacer induce a miscue from Venkatesh and get the opening breakthrough.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal ensured the wicket didn’t stem the flow of runs, finding the gaps regularly to take RCB to 76 for one at the end of the PowerPlay, but the momentum swung when Jason Holder removed both the batters in a space of three balls.

RCB vs GT – HIGHLIGHTS

After seeing out Holder’s spell, the introduction of the fifth bowler allowed Patidar and Krunal Pandya to play themselves in. The Titans did not help their chances, committing a few errors on the field including a dropped catch of the opposite skipper. The 95-run association between the pair gave the side the impetus it needed to accelerate at the death and Patidar and Jitesh Sharma duly obliged.

After a prolonged delay due to a light show organised for the fans, GT suffered an unfortunate early setback when B. Sai Sudharsan knocked his stumps back during the follow-through after playing a crisp square cut. Captain Shubman Gill, too, didn’t trouble the scorers much, undone by a length ball that moved in from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

For a side that relies heavily on the starts provided by the opening pair, the writing was on the wall early and the middle-order, minus Rahul Tewatia, could do nothing to prevent the inevitable final outcome.

Published on May 26, 2026