Royal Challengers Bangalore has become the first finalist of IPL 2026 by defeating Gujarat Titans in Qualifier-1. The hero of this victory was captain Rajat Patidar, who played a stormy innings and took RCB’s score to 254. Before this, Virat Kohli played an important inning of 43 runs, Krunal Pandya also scored 43 runs. Chasing the target, GT was reduced to 162 runs and Bengaluru won the match by 92 runs.

In the Qualifier-1 played in Dharamshala, Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to bowl first. Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli started the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Iyer scored 19 runs in 7 balls and Kohli scored 43 runs in 25 balls. Devdutt Padikkal scored 30 runs. Captain Rajat Patidar scored unbeaten 93 runs in 33 balls at a strike rate of 281.82. He along with Krunal Pandya made a partnership of 95 runs for the fourth wicket.

114 runs scored in the last 6 overs

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s score was 140 runs in 14 overs, from here it seemed that the team would reach 210 but Rajat Patidar’s stormy innings took the score to 254. Rajat hit 9 sixes and 5 fours in his unbeaten innings of 93 runs in 33 balls. RCB scored 114 runs in the last 6 overs.

Also read- 3 big reasons for Gujarat Titans’ defeat in the qualifiers, is GT now out of IPL 2026?

Highest total of IPL playoff

The captain’s innings took Royal Challengers Bangalore’s score to 254, which has now become the highest total of playoffs in IPL history. This score also gave RCB the biggest win (on the basis of runs) of the playoffs in IPL.

While chasing the target, the top order batsmen of Gujarat Titans performed disappointingly. Sai Sudarshan was playing well, but on one ball the bat left his hand and hit the wicket. After this, Shubman Gill (2) was bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jos Buttler batted stormily, but Josh Hazlewood bowled him and ended his innings. Butler scored 29 runs in 11 balls with the help of 2 sixes and 4 fours.

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Nishant Sindhu (5), Washington Sundar (8), Jason Holder (0) were out cheaply. Rahul Tewatia, who came as an impact player, scored 68 runs in 43 balls with the help of 4 sixes and 8 fours, although this was not enough to win. Gujarat Titans were all out for 162 runs in 19.3 overs. Royal Challengers Bangalore won this match by 92 runs, which is the biggest win of the playoff on the basis of runs.

In the first qualifier of IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Gujarat Titans by 92 runs. GT players performed disappointingly in bowling, batting as well as fielding. After this defeat, people were surprised to see Glenn Phillips in the press conference, actually he was not in the playing 11 of this match. He had to face difficult questions from the press, but he appeared angry on one question.

When a journalist asked him whether Gujarat Titans had already given up when Royal Challengers Bangalore scored 254 runs while batting first? Glenn Phillips was surprised at this question, he called it a stupid question and said that a player gives his all on the field and does not give up till the end. Let us tell you that RCB, batting first, made the highest playoff total (254) in IPL history. Rajat Patidar played a brilliant inning of 93 runs in 33 balls.

Phillips said, “This is a stupid question. It is really stupid. Do you know? No player comes to the field thinking that we will give up, so why would we do that as a professional player? This question is very bad. We gave everything on the ground. When you are chasing 250 runs, it is important that everything is right with you, we also came to the field thinking the same but unfortunately. It didn’t happen.”

Also read- 8 sixes… Before the eliminator, Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit fifty in 10 balls, video went viral.

pressure of big target

However, Phillips admitted that there was definitely pressure on the team to score big. He said, “When you are chasing 250 runs, obviously there is scoreboard pressure. Very few teams have been able to win while chasing such a big score, Punjab Kings did this in some matches which was fantastic.”

When Glenn Phillips was asked that you were not a part of the playing 11, yet you were in the press conference, don’t you feel strange? To this he said, “No, it’s fine. We are all part of a team and we all have equal roles in front of the media. I think sometimes the perspective of an outsider, who is not playing the match, is very helpful. We have played very good cricket so far, so the players who are on the field should use the necessary things, so that they can prepare well for the next match.”

Also read- 9 sixes, 5 fours… Rajat Patidar scored 93 runs at a strike rate of 281, Bengaluru created history.

Now Gujarat Titans will get the second and last chance to reach the final, the team will play Qualifier-2 on 29th May. The winning team of the eliminator will be in front of them today. The eliminator match is between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, in which the losing team will be eliminated.

The first qualifier match of IPL 2026 is being played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharsala. In this important match, Gujarat Titans have won the toss and decided to bowl first. There has been a big change in the Gujarat team. For the first time this season, left arm fast bowler Kulwant Khejroliya has got a place in the last eleven. Phil Salt is not playing for RCB even today.

Playing XI of Royal Challengers Bangalore- Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam Dar.

Playing XI of Gujarat Titans- Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

One of these will be the impact player of Gujarat Titans- Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

One of these will be the impact player of Royal Challengers Bangalore- Romario Shepherd, Suyyash Sharma, Kanishk Chauhan, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

Match canceled due to rain, what will happen next?

The Qualifier-1 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans is being played in Dharamshala. If there is rain in the match then there is no reserve day for Qualifier-1. In such a situation, the match officials will make every effort to complete the match today itself. An additional time of 120 minutes will also be added in case of rain. If a five-over match does not start even after 120 minutes of extra time is added, the match will be declared cancelled. Since the team that wins Qualifier-1 goes to the finals, but the match could not start due to rain, then which team will go to the finals, this is the big question?

If the Qualifier-1 match is cancelled, the winner will be decided on the basis of better position in the points table. This means that the team which was higher in the points table will get the ticket for the final. Let us remind you that Royal Challengers Bangalore was on top of the points table, so if the Qualifier 1 match does not start today due to rain, then RCB will reach the finals.

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The first qualifier match of IPL 2026 is being played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans. This match is being played at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. Gujarat Titans won the toss and invited RCB team to bat first.

If we look at the history of the Indian Premier League, the chasing record in Dharamshala is not very good. Here the team batting first has won on 58.82 percent of the occasions, yet Gujarat chose to bowl first. On the other hand, Bengaluru’s batsmen made a flying start and scored 79 runs in the powerplay itself. Know here how many runs that figure is, which will probably be almost impossible for the Gujarat batsmen to chase.

If they score so many runs then RCB is in the final?

In the history of IPL, a total of 17 matches have been played on the Dharamshala ground. This has happened only twice here, when a team has chased more than 200 targets. Both times this feat has been done in the 2026 season only. Therefore, if RCB scores around 200 runs, that score will not be safe.

The biggest successful run chase on this ground was done by Delhi Capitals. Delhi had registered a big win against Punjab Kings this season by chasing the target of 211 runs. In the same season, Mumbai Indians had achieved the target of 201 runs against Punjab Kings.

The good thing for RCB is that it has scored more than 200 twice in Dharamshala. The biggest score of IPL on this ground is also in the name of Bengaluru, which scored 243 runs against Punjab Kings here in 2024. If Bengaluru scores more than 200 runs, it will be a big tension for Gujarat. Because Gujarat has been able to chase the target of 200 or more runs only twice in the history of IPL.

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Virat Kohli has done something in IPL which no one could do before. History has been created in the first qualifier match against Gujarat Titans. After scoring 43 runs, Virat became the first batsman to score 600+ runs in four consecutive seasons. Earlier, Virat had also scored more than 600 runs in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Virat has now scored 600 runs after playing 15 matches in the IPL 2026 season. In Qualifier 1 against Gujarat, he played an inning of 43 runs in 25 balls. In the 2026 season, Virat Kohli has scored one century and 4 fifties.

600+ runs in 4 consecutive seasons

Virat Kohli is the first batsman in the history of IPL to have scored 600+ runs in four consecutive seasons. Chris Gayle and KL Rahul had scored 600 or more runs for three consecutive seasons, but Virat has now gone ahead of them.

• 639 runs – IPL 2023
• 741 runs – IPL 2024
• 657 runs – IPL 2025
• 600 runs – IPL 2026

Virat Kohli’s record in the playoffs has not been very good. Till now he has played 18 playoff matches, in which Virat has been able to score 439 runs. In the history of playoffs, only two half-century innings have come from Virat’s bat. He also failed to do the same against Gujarat Titans in the first qualifier of IPL 2026.

It is also an amazing fact that Virat has scored more runs in IPL than he has scored in his entire Test career. Virat has scored 9261 runs in his historic IPL career of 282 matches, whereas in his Test career he had scored 9230 runs.

Average 50+ every time

These figures of Virat Kohli are also heart-warming because in the last four seasons he has scored runs at an average of more than 50. In 2023, his average was 53.25, while in 2024 he scored runs at an excellent average of 61.75. Last season 54.75 and now in IPL 2026, he has scored runs at an average of more than 50.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has created history in Qualifier-1 of IPL 2026. In the first qualifier against Gujarat Titans in Dharamshala, RCB scored 254 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. This is the biggest score in the playoffs in the history of IPL. Now Gujarat Titans will have to score 255 runs to win this match. RCB captain Rajat Patidar played a brilliant inning of 93 runs in just 33 balls. Whereas Virat Kohli scored 43 runs in 25 balls. RBI scored 114 runs in the last 6 overs.

Gujarat Titans had decided to bowl first after winning the toss, but their decision proved to be completely wrong. Batting first, RCB has made the highest score of any playoff match in the history of IPA. For the first time, 250+ runs have been scored in any playoff match of IPL.

Virat completed 600 runs, Rajat Patidar scored 93

For RCB, who came to bat first, Venkatesh Iyer hit three fours in the first over itself. From here it was known with what intention the team had entered the field today. 76 runs were scored for one wicket in the powerplay. Venkatesh Iyer was out after scoring 19 runs in seven balls. Whereas Devdutt Padikkal played an inning of 30 runs in 19 balls. Virat Kohli scored 43 runs in 25 balls with five fours and one six.

The score of 76 in 6 overs reached only 99 in 10 overs. Jason Holder almost made Gujarat’s comeback by taking two wickets, but then Krunal Pandya and Rajat Patidar took charge. Both of them played with restraint in the beginning, but after getting settled, they also hit big shots. Pandya was out after scoring 43 runs in 28 balls. He hit five fours and two sixes.

Rajat Patidar kept washing the Gujarat bowlers till the end. Patidar played a brilliant inning of 93 runs in just 33 balls. 5 fours and 9 sixes came from his bat. He returned unbeaten. Along with him, Jitesh Sharma returned unbeaten on 15 runs with the help of one four and one six in five balls.

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The league stage of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League i.e. IPL 2026 has ended. After 70 matches, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have qualified for the playoffs. Out of these, RCB and Gujarat have finished in the top-2. In such a situation, they will get two chances for the final. Qualifier-1 will be played between RCB and Gujarat tomorrow i.e. on Tuesday. According to the rules, the journey of the team that loses in the first qualifier will not end in IPL 2026.

According to the rules of IPL, the teams finishing first and second in the points table get a chance to play in Qualifier-1. Whereas the team that loses in the first qualifier is not out of the tournament, rather it gets the benefit of being in the top-2. After losing Qualifier-1, she plays Qualifier-2. In Qualifier-2, it faces the team that wins the eliminator match. For this reason, whichever team among RCB and GT loses in the first qualifier, it will get another chance to reach the finals.

RCB and GT have equal points, Bengaluru ahead in net run rate.

Let us tell you that after the end of 70 matches of IPL 2026, Rajat Patidar’s RCB and Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans remained in the top-2 in the points table. RCB remained on top with 9 wins in 14 matches. Gujarat team also finished with 18 points in 14 matches. Due to net run rate, RCB stood first and Gujarat stood second.

Match canceled due to rain, RCB in final

If the Qualifier-1 match between RCB and Gujarat is canceled due to rain, then Royal Challengers Bangalore will enter the finals due to being on top in the points table. In the IPL playoffs, a reserve day has been kept only for rain. There is no reserve day for the remaining Qualifier-1, Eliminator and Qualifier-2. The final of IPL 2026 will be played on 31 May at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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IPL 2026 is now in its final stage. All 70 matches of the league stage of the 19th season have ended. Now the playoff matches will be played from Tuesday, May 26. In this, RCB and Gujarat Titans will face each other first in Qualifier-1. The performance of both the teams has been excellent in the tournament. Here we tell you which five players’ performance in the first qualifier of IPL 2026 will keep everyone’s eyes on.

1- Virat Kohli

RCB’s star batsman Virat Kohli is considered a player of big matches only. Kohli has the power to single-handedly turn the tide of any match. Virat is also in excellent form this season. Kohli has scored 557 runs in 14 matches playing at a strike rate of 163. If Virat is successful in maintaining his form in the first qualifier, then RCB’s path to reach the final can be easy.

2- Sai Sudarshan

In IPL 2026, the maximum runs have come from the bat of Sai Sudarshan only. Along with weaving the innings, Sudarshan can also bat aggressively. The most important thing is that he is scoring runs with consistency and does not let the pressure overwhelm him. Playing at a strike rate of 157, he has scored 638 runs in 14 matches.

3- Shubhman Gill

Gujarat Titans captain Shubhman Gill can also prove to be a big headache for the RCB bowlers in the first qualifier. Gill’s recent form is amazing and he has scored 616 runs this season. The special thing about Shubman’s batting is that he knows the art of putting pressure on the bowlers without taking any risk, which makes him different from other batsmen.

4- Bhuvneshwar Kumar

How RCB performs in the first qualifier will largely depend on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s quota of 4 overs. Bhuvneshwar has been the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026. He can single-handedly turn any match with his bowling. If Bhuvneshwar is successful in sending the pair of Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill to the pavilion in the powerplay, then the doors to playing the fifth final can easily open for RCB.

5- Mohammad Siraj

The most important thing for Gujarat Titans is that Mohammad Siraj has returned to his form. Siraj can also get good swing in the air on the Dharamshala ground and he can prove to be very lethal if GT bowls first. Even though this season may not have been anything special for Siraj in the beginning, it has been his old habit to perform strongly in big matches.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore has defeated Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets. After playing first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Gujarat had scored 205 runs thanks to a century by Sai Sudarshan. In reply, RCB chased the target in the 19th over. For RCB, Virat Kohli played a brilliant inning of 81 runs in 44 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal scored 55 runs in 27 balls. This is RCB’s fifth win this season. Now Bengaluru has reached second place in the points table.