Royal Challengers Bengaluru VS Gujarat Titans Match ball by ball Commentary

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.

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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.