Royal Challengers Bengaluru Storm Into IPL 2026 Final After Crushing Gujarat Titans

RCB Reach Back-to-Back IPL Finals With Record-Breaking Win

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a stunning all-round performance to secure their place in the IPL 2026 final after defeating Gujarat Titans by a massive 92-run margin in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. The dominant victory ensured that Bengaluru reached the IPL final for the second consecutive season while Gujarat Titans were pushed into Qualifier 2.

The high-scoring playoff clash in Dharamshala turned into a historic night for RCB as captain Rajat Patidar produced one of the greatest innings in IPL playoff history.

Bengaluru Post Historic 254 Runs

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru unleashed an explosive batting display and piled up a gigantic total of 254/5 in 20 overs the highest score ever recorded in an IPL playoff or knockout match.

The innings started aggressively as Venkatesh Iyer smashed 19 runs from just 7 deliveries. Star batter Virat Kohli then stabilized the innings with a quickfire 43 off 25 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal added 30 runs from 19 balls.

However, the real destruction began when captain Rajat Patidar took charge.

Patidar played a sensational unbeaten knock of 93 runs off just 33 balls, smashing 5 fours and 9 gigantic sixes. His incredible innings came at a breathtaking strike rate of 281.81 the highest strike rate ever by an IPL captain scoring a fifty-plus innings.

He was brilliantly supported by Krunal Pandya, who scored 43 runs from 28 balls. The pair stitched together a game-changing 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

In the death overs, Jitesh Sharma added the finishing touches with a rapid 15 runs from only 5 balls, helping Bengaluru cross the 250-run mark.

For Gujarat Titans, Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder picked up two wickets each but struggled badly against Bengaluru’s relentless attack.

Gujarat Titans Collapse Under Pressure

Chasing a massive target of 255, Gujarat Titans suffered an early collapse and never truly recovered.

Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 14 runs after an unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal, while captain Shubman Gill managed only 2 runs. Jos Buttler briefly counterattacked with a quick 29 off 11 balls, but Josh Hazlewood removed him at a crucial stage.

Gujarat lost five wickets for just 51 runs, putting them completely on the back foot.

Rahul Tewatia fought alone with a courageous 68-run innings from 43 balls that included 8 fours and 4 sixes, but the target proved far too large. Gujarat Titans were eventually bowled out for 162 runs in 19.3 overs.

For Bengaluru, Duffy starred with 3 wickets, while Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Rasikh Salam claimed two wickets each.

Rajat Patidar Creates IPL History

Rajat Patidar’s innings entered the IPL record books in multiple ways:

• His unbeaten 93 became the joint-highest score by a captain in an IPL playoff match.
• He smashed 9 sixes, the second-highest number of sixes by any batter in an IPL knockout match.
• Patidar faced only one dot ball during his entire innings.
• He scored 72 runs from his final 20 deliveries after a relatively slow start.

His fearless batting completely shifted momentum in Bengaluru’s favor and turned the match into a one-sided affair.

Major Records Broken During the Match

The Qualifier 1 clash witnessed several historic IPL milestones:

• 254/5 — Highest total ever in IPL playoff history.
• 114 runs in final 6 overs — Second-highest death-over score in IPL history.
• Fourth time RCB crossed 250 runs in IPL history.
• Ninth 200+ score for RCB in IPL 2026, matching the tournament record.
• Kagiso Rabada’s 18 powerplay wickets became the most by any bowler in a single IPL season.

What Happens Next?

With this commanding victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have directly qualified for the IPL 2026 final and now await the winner of the remaining playoff matches.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans still have another opportunity to reach the final as they will face the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

RCB fans will now hope that this dominant form continues as the franchise aims to finally capture its long-awaited IPL trophy.