RCB Into Finals Again After Explosive Win Against GT

Bengaluru kept rolling with that strong title defense, and honestly it looked a bit too easy at times, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved into the IPL 2026 final after a 92-run win over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1. They looked sharp, like full on. Batting and bowling both sides were working, and the defending champions now set up their second straight trip to the final.

RCB came into the playoffs as table toppers, so there was this kind of steady confidence around them from the first moment. Gujarat Titans did make it to the knockout rounds with mostly reliable showings all season, but when the pressure got real in this match , they couldn’t match Bengaluru’s energy. It was more about intensity and less about effort i guess.

Rajat Patidar was the one pulling everything together with destructive batting

RCB’s innings basically revolved around captain Rajat Patidar’s superb knock. He stayed not out on 93, and he did it off just 33 balls, controlling the flow while still going hard with every aggressive kind of stroke.

Virat Kohli got the start moving quickly, scoring 43 from 25 balls. He went after the powerplay, and that helped RCB keep the run rate ticking up right from the beginning. Devdutt Padikkal too played on the front foot and added 30 runs.

Then once Kohli and Padikkal were gone, Patidar took over in a way that was hard to stop. He targeted Gujarat’s bowlers everywhere on the park , no letting them get comfortable. His innings had plenty of boundaries, plus a few big sixes, both against pace and against spin as well.

Krunal Pandya also chipped in, making 43 from 28 balls. Together, the Patidar and Krunal partnership pushed the total out of reach. In the death overs Bengaluru hammered it more , and ended up with 254/5 after 20 overs.

Gujarat collapse started early, during a chase that never really felt easy

Chasing 255 in a playoff match really needed a strong start, but Gujarat Titans kind of lost the plot almost right away. Their top order didn’t really manage to form proper partnerships, and wickets kept dropping in that usual kind of rhythm, too often.

Sai Sudharsan made 14, then he was out in a pretty unusual way. Shubman Gill got just 2 runs, while Jos Buttler scored 29 before he finally went, bowled by Josh Hazlewood.

GT ended up 51/5 inside the powerplay, and after that the chase became… honestly, extremely hard. Bengaluru’s bowlers stayed tight, kept the pressure on , and also made sure Gujarat couldn’t find any sort of comeback gear.

Rahul Tewatia was the only one who truly fought back for Gujarat. He hit 68 off 43 balls and he found boundaries in the later stages of the innings. Still, even with that effort, the required run rate just refused to calm down.

In the end, Gujarat were all out for 162 in 19.3 overs.

Bengaluru bowlers finish it off, pretty comfortably

RCB’s bowling attack backed up the batting work with some disciplined spells. Jacob Duffy grabbed three wickets, removing key batters at the moments that mattered. Rasikh Salam also impressed with two wickets, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar got two big dismissals as well.

Josh Hazlewood gave control with the new ball, while Krunal Pandya chipped in with two wickets during the middle overs.

The bowlers didn’t let Gujarat build any momentum, and the match flipped fast into a one-sided contest.

RCB carry this momentum into the IPL 2026 final

Royal Challengers Bengaluru now go straight into the IPL 2026 final with confidence, and a strong head of steam. Their batting unit looks aggressive, and also balanced enough, while the bowling department keeps delivering even when pressure is at its highest.

Rajat Patidar’s leadership has brought some stabilit y to the team this season, and honestly it feels like everything is bit more settled. Along the way Virat Kohli ’s experience has mattered a lot too, plus the way all-round players contribute keeps Bengaluru going forward and somehow makes that title defense stronger.

For Gujarat Titans though, the tournament still is not finished. They have another window in Qualifier 2, and there they have to win, just to stay in the hunt, alive in the whole competition.