RCB vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Royal Challengers Bengaluru storm into final with dominant 92-run win over Gujarat Titans

That wraps up a memorable night - What a night we have witnessed in Qualifier 1! Royal Challengers Bengaluru deliver a statement performance to storm into the 2026 IPL final, and they can now put their feet up and wait to discover who joins them in the summit clash. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, still have another shot at making it through, as they will take on the winner of the Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. That blockbuster encounter comes your way next on Wednesday, 27th May, at the New PCA Stadium, with the action set to begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). As always, do join us a little earlier for all the build-up and excitement. Until next time, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Rajat Patidar is also the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his sublime knock of 93 off 33 balls. About their commanding victory, Patidar calls it a super win for them and says the way everyone was striking, it was pleasing to watch. On whether there was a clear plan to attack the GT bowlers, Patidar says there wasn't such a set plan, but they were ready for it. The emphasis, he says, was on body language, on showing the opposition they were coming hard from ball one. Adds that the message was communicated in the team meeting, and every batter carried it out on the field. On his own approach, Patidar says he uses the first 8 to 10 balls to read the surface, and once that initial period is done, the mind clears and he backs himself to put the bowler under pressure without worrying about his wicket. About the surface, he admits that it was not the easiest to get under the ball and hit, with variable bounce making life tricky throughout. On the bowling plan against the Titans, Patidar shares that they had studied how they (GT) operate and knew their top three were the key. Details that the plan was to remove those three inside the Powerplay, and on the night, it came off perfectly.

Presentation Time...

Time to hear from the Purple Cap holder - Bhuvneshwar Kumar (26 wickets now) slips in the Purple Cap and says the credit for the performance goes to the planning behind the scenes. According to him, it may sound cliched, but the team prepares thoroughly and believes that good planning usually leads to good results. Bhuvi adds that everyone contributes to the process, with experienced players like himself and Josh Hazlewood playing their part, while the support staff also provides valuable inputs that often make a difference. He mentions that the side is data-informed and regularly looks into new ideas or strategies players want to try. While they are not completely dependent on data, he feels it certainly helps them improve and prepare better.

The captain of the Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill says that he wasn't surprised by the pitch played out. Highlights that they were going well with the ball until the 12th or 13th over, but admits that they were too sloppy in the field. The bigger issue, he admits, was the fielding, with the ground fielding in particular falling well below the standard they set for themselves. On the learnings from the game, Gill says there are plenty to take away, but this is one of those nights they want to put behind them quickly and reset ahead of Mullanpur. On the fielding lapses specifically, he says it is something the team addresses both in meetings and in practice. The intensity was there, he says, but under pressure, they simply did not deliver when it mattered. About the approach while chasing 255, Gill says it was all about getting a strong start in the Powerplay. Adds that on a ground where the ball travels and the outfield is quick, any target would have been within reach had they gotten off on the right foot. When asked about his thoughts on Sai Sudharsan's dismissal, Gill says it was simply one of the kind of dismissals you do not see very often, and feels deeply unfortunate for his opening partner.

Bengaluru bowlers put on a show - Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a mountain of runs on the board, allowing their bowlers to attack with complete freedom, and they responded brilliantly. Jacob Duffy set the tone early, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again got the better of the opposition skipper, dismissing Shubman Gill for the sixth time in the IPL. Josh Hazlewood went for a few against Jos Buttler's counterattack but had the final say eventually, while Rasikh Salam all but ended GT's hopes with a superb double-wicket maiden over. Krunal Pandya chipped in with a wicket as well, while Duffy finished with an impressive three-fer. The only slight frustration for RCB would have been their inability to wrap things up earlier, as Rahul Tewatia kept fighting till the end. Bhuvneshwar finally removed him in the 19th over before Pandya sealed the victory with three balls still remaining.

RCB unleash carnage in Qualifier 1 - Earlier in the game, Royal Challengers Bengaluru smashed their way to the highest first-innings total in IPL playoffs history. Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer provided the early spark, but it was skipper Rajat Patidar who stole the show with a breathtaking 93 off just 33 balls, including 9 towering sixes, while his 95-run stand with Krunal Pandya completely took the game away from Gujarat Titans. Jitesh Sharma then added the finishing touches to take RCB past 250. It was a difficult night for the GT bowlers, with Kagiso Rabada picking up two wickets and Prasidh Krishna one, while Jason Holder's double-wicket over briefly pulled things back. However, dropped catches and sloppy fielding allowed the momentum to slip again, with the frustration clearly visible on skipper Shubman Gill's face.

Titans crumble under pressure - In truth, the game was virtually decided in the Powerplay itself. Sai Sudharsan looked in fine touch early, striking a few crisp boundaries, but his unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse. Gujarat Titans lost half their side inside the first six overs and were left reeling at 51/5, with Jos Buttler's brisk 29 off just 11 balls being the only real counterattack before he too departed. Wickets kept tumbling as GT slipped further to 88/8, but Rahul Tewatia refused to give up. Even with the contest long out of reach, he produced a fighting knock, repeatedly targeting the leg side and bringing up his highest IPL score with a valiant 68 off 43 balls, though it was never going to be enough to pull off a miracle.

RCB storm into the summit clash - Now that is what you call complete domination, and to produce a performance like this in a playoff game underlines exactly why Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions. They have absolutely stormed into their second consecutive IPL final with a display of authority in all departments. It is a bitter blow for the Gujarat Titans, who have played some outstanding cricket this season, but on the biggest night so far, neither their bowling nor their batting managed to click. The good news for them, though, is that their campaign is still alive, and they will now need to quickly put this defeat behind them before taking on either Rajasthan Royals or Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.

Krunal Pandya to Mohammed Siraj, OUT! CAUGHT! It's all over. Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualify for the Grand Finale of IPL 2026. They beat the Gujarat Titans by a massive margin of 92 runs. Flatter and quicker outside off. Siraj clears the front leg, swings across the line and sends it ballooning high into the night sky off the top edge. The ball hangs forever between mid on and mid off before Tim David, the tall Australian, comes thundering in from long off and flings himself into a dive to complete a stunning catch. Caps off a commanding display across all departments by RCB. Joyous faces all around the RCB camp and why not? They are now just one step away from defending their title.

Krunal Pandya to Prasidh Krishna, Dropped a bit short, on off. It stays low and Krishna inside edges the pull shot to backward square leg for a single.

Krunal Pandya to Prasidh Krishna, Slides in full and on off, Krishna defends off the front foot.

Last over coming up now. It will be Krunal Pandya to bowl. Can RCB bowl GT out here?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prasidh Krishna, Nagging length, at the hips. Prasidh Krishna tucks it through square leg for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prasidh Krishna, In front of the sticks, full, Prasidh Krishna presses ahead and blocks it out.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prasidh Krishna, Leg cutter, full and straightening up from off. Prasidh Krishna swings hard across the line, but connects only a handful of thin air.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prasidh Krishna, FOUR! Into the gap! On a back of a length, outside off. Prasidh Krishna uses the pace, stays put in the crease and guides it wide of short third for a boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Prasidh Krishna, Almost a yorker, outside off. This is clipped to mid-wicket.

Prasidh Krishna is the last man in.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes back into the attack.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Rahul Tewatia, OUT! TAKEN! Bhuvneshwar Kumar adds another to his tally. That's his 26th wicket this season. Length ball, around off. Rahul stays leg side and looks to smash it over cover, but mistimes it badly as he is deceived by the lack of pace. Cannot control the shot and slices it in the air to the left of cover where Rajat Patidar leaps a bit and takes a fine tumbling catch at the edge of the circle. RCB are just one wicket away as GT are 156/9.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, Full and angled in and around off. Rahul Tewatia clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, WIDE! Miles outside off, breaching the tramline. Left alone.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, Outside off, slower one, on a length. Rahul slashes at it, but the ball keeps low and squirts off the bottom edge to the keeper.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, Slightly short at 135.3 kph, on the stumps. Rahul Tewatia swats it back to the bowler. Rasikh collects the ball on the follow-through and releases a direct hit at the batting end, but Tewatia hasn't moved out of his crease. Rasikh gives the batter a stare before walking back.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR! Guided away! Short of a length, at pace now on top of off. Rahul Tewatia rides the bounce, opens the bat face and pierces the backward point and short third gap for a boundary.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, SIX! Tewatia continues to have fun out there. Serves it right into the slot, on off, Rahul Tewatia gets the ball into his arc, gets down on a knee, and slogs the slower ball over long on for a six.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, Back of a length, outside off, punched on the up to deep point.

Rasikh Salam replaces Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Rasikh Salam to Rahul Tewatia, WIDE! Way too short and likely going over the head of the batter. Rahul Tewatia lets it fly through to the keeper. Wide signalled, but RCB have gone for a review. Ball Tracking with a side on replay comes up. Tewatia's head height is measured at 1.755 meters, and the ball is passing well above that, at 1.833 meters. So it's a wide and the on-field decision is upheld.

Josh Hazlewood to Mohammed Siraj, Full and outside off, Siraj gets on the front foot and cracks the drive, straight to short cover. Hazlewood ends the spell with figures reading 4-0-39-1.

Josh Hazlewood to Rahul Tewatia, Hard length and on middle and leg, Rahul Tewatia steps across and pulls it wide of deep square, where the fielder makes a sliding stop to his right. A single taken.

Josh Hazlewood to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR! Great placement! Back of a length and around leg, Rahul Tewatia rolls his wrists and pulls it away, splitting the gap perfectly between deep square leg and deep mid-wicket for another boundary.

Josh Hazlewood to Rahul Tewatia, Ouch! That must have hurt! Slants it into the batter, on a length, Rahul Tewatia gets a bit across to pull but the ball skids and beats the inside edge to hit him around the abdomen area.

Josh Hazlewood to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR! Through the gap. And that's FIFTY FOR TEWATIA! Just his 2nd IPL half century. Back of a length, outside off. Tewatia uses the pace, stays back and cuts it to the left of the short third fielder for a boundary. Good knock from him so far and he will like to bat till the end.

Josh Hazlewood to Rahul Tewatia, Short in length, on the leg stump. Rahul pulls it on the bounce to the left of the deep square leg fielder. The man there gets across and cuts it off. No run taken.

Strategic Break! Rahul Tewatia is playing a good knock here, which will give some confidence to the Titans before their next knockout game. It might not affect the result, but it shows that someone in the middle order has found form. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will want to pick up the last couple of wickets quickly to finish things off here. Josh Hazlewood to bowl after the break.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mohammed Siraj, At pace, on off and full in length. Siraj mistimes the straight drive off the inside half to short mid-wicket.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Rahul Tewatia, Full on leg, Rahul clips it to the right of mid-wicket for a single.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Rahul Tewatia, Overpitched, on middle, Tewatia drills it off the inner half to deep mid-wicket. Denies the single again.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Rahul Tewatia, SIX! Nicely done! Knuckleball from Kumar, outside off, full in length. Rahul sits across and nails the scoop shot over deep fine leg for a six.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Rahul Tewatia, FOUR! Puts it away! Low full toss, on leg, Rahul gets down on a knee and sweeps it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. No man there.