A fortunate escape transformed into a spectacular onslaught. Following a dropped catch by Washington Sundar on the opening delivery when dismissed for zero, Virat Kohli punished GT with a classic 81 off 44 balls to guide RCB’s pursuit of 206. During their last home match in Bengaluru for IPL 2026, RCB capitalized on half-centuries from Kohli and the dynamic Devdutt Padikkal (55 from 27) to secure victory with seven deliveries remaining. On an evening of milestones, Kohli became the inaugural player to achieve 800 IPL boundaries and 300 maximums for one team. Previously, Sai Sudharsan’s magnificent hundred (100 from 58) had established the foundation, yet it proved insufficient to halt the RCB momentum. RCB defeats Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets despite Sai Sudharsan’s century .
TOSS-
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and chose to bowl first.
PLAYING XI –
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI):
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
GUJARAT TITANS-
Playing on a surface that proved challenging and uneven initially, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan maintained the run flow despite Sudharsan dominating the strike – handling 29 of 36 balls delivered. Following a couple of subdued overs, he unleashed himself against the short-pitched deliveries from RCB’s fast bowlers. The pair accumulated 57 runs during the powerplay and sustained their aggressive approach throughout their partnership.
Gill, who primarily occupied the non-striker’s position, focused on rotating strike, while Sudharsan quickly capitalized on any loose deliveries. The partnership yielded 130 runs before Gill fell in the 13th over attempting a boundary.
For considerable time, they maintained momentum, with Jos Buttler targeting Suyash Sharma during the 15th over. Sudharsan reached his century in that same over with a single, but departed the following over, mishitting a pull shot off Josh Hazlewood. Nevertheless, contributions from Buttler and Washington Sundar positioned them for a powerful finish in the death overs, where RCB’s bowling attack fought back.
During the initial three death overs, they managed just 17 runs, wresting momentum from GT’s innings. With Rasikh Salam departing the field due to cramps, Krunal Pandya bowled the final over, and Jason Holder capitalized, dispatching both a short delivery and a slower ball for sixes in a 20-run over that pushed the total beyond 200.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU-
The defending champions nearly found themselves in serious difficulty early. Beyond Jacob Bethell’s brief 14 from 10 balls, Kohli survived a dropped chance on naught. The experienced opener capitalized on this lifeline and dominated the powerplay, taking charge against Gujarat Titans’ pace attack. Partnering with Padikkal, he helped RCB accumulate 58 runs during the powerplay.
The RCB opener displayed exceptional fluency after his reprieve, stroking and flicking deliveries with authority and control against Kagiso Rabada. He employed intelligent footwork against Rashid and boldly faced short deliveries from Prasidh Krishna, creating room to exploit gaps in the off-side field. His knock concluded on 81 when he deflected a rising ball from Jason Holder onto his stumps.
The left-hander extended his excellent form from recent months. He launched his innings by dispatching Kagiso Rabada for six over deep backward square, then attacked subsequent bowlers. Prasidh Krishna’s pace and bounce were pulled for boundaries, while Rashid Khan also suffered, conceding an inside-out six over deep extra cover. On what appeared a batting-friendly surface during the chase, he showcased various shots and reached his half-century in just 20 balls. His innings ended when Rashid’s googly deceived him, leading to a stumping in the 13th over. However, the 117-run partnership with Kohli laid the groundwork for RCB’s triumph.
Rajat Patidar began with a six off Rashid Khan, and briefly the chase seemed comfortable. Yet after Kohli and Padikkal’s dismissals, GT’s spin bowlers applied pressure. Jitesh Sharma mistimed a cut to point while Patidar edged attempting to hit Manav Suthar against the spin. Pressure might have increased had Tim David’s edge not sailed over the third man fielder.
Nonetheless, Krunal Pandya effectively countered GT’s field settings with a brisk 23.
Brief Scores:
Gujarat Titans 205/3 in 20 overs [Sai Sudharsan 100 (58), Jason Holder 23 (10); Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1-31] lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 206/5 in 18.5 overs [Virat Kohli 81 (44), Devdutt Padikkal 55 (27); Rashid Khan 2-49, Manav Suthar 1-19] by 5 wickets.
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