{"id":172583,"date":"2026-05-26T04:33:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T10:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=172583"},"modified":"2026-05-26T04:33:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T10:03:40","slug":"rcb-vs-gt-ipl-2026-three-key-battles-that-could-define-qualifier-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=172583","title":{"rendered":"RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Three key battles that could define Qualifier 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-body-71023680\" itemprop=\"articleBody\">Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to make it to its second consecutive Indian Premier League final as it takes on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>RCB topped the league stage with 18 points, pipping GT on NRR.<\/p>\n<p><b>Here are three key player battles that could define the RCB vs GT Qualifier 1:<\/b><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"sub_head\">Virat Kohli vs. Kagiso Rabada<\/h4>\n<p>.Unsurprisingly, Virat Kohli has been RCB\u2019s leading run-scorer this season, amassing 557 runs from 14 innings.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada has carried much of the bowling burden for GT, taking 24 wickets from 14 innings, the joint-highest tally in IPL 2026 alongside RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.<\/p>\n<p>Kohli and Rabada have shared a storied rivalry across formats over the last decade. In T20 cricket, however, the South African quick has largely had the upper hand, dismissing the Indian batting stalwart six times in 18 innings. If Rabada can prise out Kohli early in the PowerPlay, it would significantly tilt the balance of the game in GT\u2019s favour<\/p>\n<div class=\"fact-box\">\n<h5 class=\"main-title\">\nKohli vs Rabada in T20s<br \/>\n<\/h5>\n<p>\nInnings &#8211; 16<\/p>\n<p>Runs &#8211; 111 from 79 balls (strike rate &#8211; 140.50)<\/p>\n<p>Dismissals &#8211; 6 (average &#8211; 18.5)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"sub_head\">Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs. GT openers<\/h4>\n<p>It is well established that the Titans are heavily reliant on their top order. Opener B Sai Sudharsan, with 638 runs, currently sits atop the Orange Cap standings, while his opening partner Shubman Gill is close behind in second with 616.<\/p>\n<p>In Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB has the ideal in-form weapon to counter GT\u2019s biggest strength.<\/p>\n<p>Both Sai Sudharsan and Gill have modest records against the RCB pacer. Gill, in particular, has struggled against Bhuvneshwar, averaging just 16.00 and striking at 106.66 in their meetings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fact-box\">\n<p><b>Shubman Gill vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20s<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Innings: 13<\/p>\n<p>Runs: 80 from 75 balls (strike rate &#8211; 106.66)<\/p>\n<p>Dismissals: 5 (average &#8211; 16.00)<\/p>\n<p><b>Sai Sudharsan vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20s<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Innings: 6<\/p>\n<p>Runs: 51 from 42 balls (strike rate &#8211; 121.42)<\/p>\n<p>Dismissals: 1 (average &#8211; 51.00)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"sub_head\">Rashid Khan vs. Tim David<\/h4>\n<p>Rashid Khan\u2019s return to form has been central to GT\u2019s dominant run in IPL 2026. The leg-spinner has already claimed 19 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 8.71.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Rashid is likely to come up against RCB\u2019s middle-order enforcer Tim David, who has hammered 277 runs at a strike rate of 197.85 this season.<\/p>\n<p>Rashid has largely had the upper hand in their battles so far, conceding just 7.77 runs per over against the Australian batter. That could encourage GT to hold back an over or two from Rashid at the death in an attempt to neutralise David\u2019s finishing threat.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fact-box\">\n<h5 class=\"main-title\">\nTim David vs Rashid Khan in T20s<br \/>\n<\/h5>\n<p>\nInnings: 17<\/p>\n<p>Runs: 70 from 54 balls (strike rate &#8211; 129.62)<\/p>\n<p>\nDismissals: 3 (average &#8211; 23.33)\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"publish-time\" id=\"end-of-article\">Published on May 26, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/sportstar.thehindu.com\/cricket\/ipl\/rcb-vs-gt-ipl-2026-qualifier-1-key-battles-player-analysis-kohli-v-rabada\/article71023680.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to make it to its second consecutive Indian Premier League final as it takes on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala on Tuesday. RCB topped the league stage with 18 points, pipping GT on NRR. Here are three key player battles that could define the RCB &#8230; <a title=\"RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Three key battles that could define Qualifier 1\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=172583\" aria-label=\"Read more about RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Three key battles that could define Qualifier 1\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":174969,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=174969","url_meta":{"origin":172583,"position":0},"title":"RCB vs GT, IPL 2026: Three key battles that could define the final","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"May 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31. RCB, the defending champion, will be looking to win its second straight final while Gujarat Titans will also be looking to win its second title, after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780236797_PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780236797_PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780236797_PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780236797_PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1780236797_PTI04_30_2026_000481B.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":172687,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=172687","url_meta":{"origin":172583,"position":1},"title":"RCB vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Holder&#039;s double strike brings Titans back; Royal Challengers Bengaluru 99\/3 in 10 overs &#8211; Sportstar","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"RCB vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Holder's double strike brings Titans back; Royal Challengers Bengaluru 99\/3 in 10 overs\u00a0\u00a0SportstarRCB vs GT Live Score, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Rabada gets Venkatesh Iyer after a flyer\u00a0\u00a0ESPNcricinfoVirat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal take down GT bowlers as RCB post their highest powerplay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/J6_coFbogxhRI9iM864NL_liGXvsQp2AupsKei7z0cNNfDvGUmWUy20nuUhkREQyrpY4bEeIBucs0-w300-rw.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":172829,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=172829","url_meta":{"origin":172583,"position":2},"title":"IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings updated after RCB vs GT, Qualifier 1 \u2014 Kohli rises to fourth","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"RCB\u2019s Virat Kohli rose to fourth in the Orange Cap standings after scoring a 25-ball 43 against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala on Tuesday. GT opener B Sai Sudharsan continues to lead the Orange Cap Leaderboard heading into the final three games of the season.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2021.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2021.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2021.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2021.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2021.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":175036,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=175036","url_meta":{"origin":172583,"position":3},"title":"IPL 2026 Final RCB vs GT | RCB at 126\/4 after 12 overs &#8211; The Hindu","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"May 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"IPL 2026 Final RCB vs GT | RCB at 126\/4 after 12 overs\u00a0\u00a0The HinduFull Scorecard of Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans, Indian Premier League 2026, Final - Score Report\u00a0\u00a0espn.inRCB vs GT Cricket Scorecard, Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala, May 26, 2026\u00a0\u00a0ESPNcricinfoVirat Kohli scripts history, smashes fastest IPL fifty of his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;National News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/J6_coFbogxhRI9iM864NL_liGXvsQp2AupsKei7z0cNNfDvGUmWUy20nuUhkREQyrpY4bEeIBucs0-w300-rw.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":174772,"url":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=174772","url_meta":{"origin":172583,"position":4},"title":"RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans head-to-head record; Overall stats &#8211; most runs, wickets","author":"Ajay Kumar Verma","date":"May 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lock horns with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night. 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Bhuvneshwar ended with figures of 2\/28 as RCB beat\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2055.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2055.JPG?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2055.JPG?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2055.JPG?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newslink360.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IPL20202620GT20vs20RCB2055.JPG?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgnRh4-ITB","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=172583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/172584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=172583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=172583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=172583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}