Dharamshala: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into the Indian Premier League (IPL) final after a dominant 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1, powered by an unbeaten 93 from captain Rajat Patidar, keeping the defending champions on course for a second consecutive title.
Chasing a massive 255, the highest target in IPL playoff history, the Gujarat Titans faltered early and were bowled out for 162 in 19.3 overs, never really recovering against Bengaluru’s disciplined bowling attack.
Batting first, RCB made a strong start, reaching 76 for 1 in the powerplay, as Krunal Pandya and Patidar took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
𝗥𝗖𝗕 𝘃 𝗚𝗧: 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗻
Rajat’s brilliance, Bhuvi’s consistency, the team recognising every little contribution, and staying focused with eyes on the bigger prize – here we are bringing you all the behind… pic.twitter.com/6YvdJqddn8
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 27, 2026
GT, however, hurt their own chances with poor fielding, including dropped catches and costly misfields that allowed Bengaluru to build momentum.
Gujarat captain Shubman Gill later admitted that the team’s fielding standards were below expectations, which contributed to their defeat.
Pacer Jason Holder briefly slowed RCB’s progress by dismissing Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal in the same over, bringing GT back into the contest momentarily.
However, Patidar and Krunal Pandya quickly regained control with aggressive batting, including a 28-run onslaught in the 15th over that put Gujarat’s bowlers under severe pressure.
Patidar, who was dropped early on 20, made full use of the chance and finished as the top scorer with a blistering 93 not out off 33 balls, hitting five fours and nine sixes.
The Captain said that he initially takes a few deliveries to assess the pitch before playing freely, adding that he focuses on putting bowlers under pressure rather than worrying about losing his wicket.
Rahul Tewatia offered resistance for GT with a fighting 68 off 43 balls, but their chase collapsed early after they were reduced to 51 for 5 in the powerplay.
Rasikh Dar impressed with a double-wicket maiden spell, while Jacob Duffy returned figures of 3 for 39 to seal RCB’s dominant win.
With this result, RCB will face the final in Ahmedabad on May 31, while Gujarat Titans will get another opportunity to qualify when they play the winner of the eliminator in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in Chandigarh.
RCB’s commanding all-round display underlined their title ambitions, while GT will need a strong comeback in their final chance to stay in the tournament.
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