RCB Vs GT Highlights, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Patidar, Krunal, Bowlers Take Royal Challengers To Consecutive Final

Good evening and welcome, everyone. We are building up to the start of the Indian Premier League 2026 Qualifier 1 encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. Watch this space for the pre-match news, toss info and live updates.

The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 7:30pm IST, with the toss slated for 7pm. The RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network in India. Fans can also watch the live streaming of the match on the JioHotstar app and website in the country.

Weather conditions in Dharamsala are expected to remain mostly favourable for cricket today, although brief showers are possible around the evening hours before the match begins. Temperatures are likely to stay pleasant throughout the game, offering relief from the intense heat seen across much of North India recently.

For specifics, read our report.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Philip Salt, Abhinandan Singh, Swapnil Singh, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Jacob Duffy, Richard Gleeson, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal

Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Shahrukh Khan, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Ashok Sharma, Connor Esterhuizen, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar, Jayant Yadav

According to ChatGPT, it's a tough call, but RCB are leading the race marginally with a 55 per cent chance of victory. Virat Kohli is one of the driving factors putting RCB ahead of GT. On the other hand, Gujarat's bowling attack is well-balanced, while their opening duo of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan is in lethal form.

Ahead of the Qualifier 1 clash, Royal Challengers skipper Patidar dead-batted a query regarding the IPL 2026 final being shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad. "It's not in my control. This is a historic site, so wherever the final is going to be, that's where it is going to be. We are focused on reaching the final," he said during the pre-match press conference.

The BCCI moved the title clash to Ahmedabad citing operational issues and local political complications, including excessive ticket requests and crowd management concerns.

GT skipper Shubman Gill has won the toss and elected to bowl first. He cites the likelihood of dew later in the evening as his reason for the decision. RCB captain Rajat Patidar said he would have bowled first too, but adds that he expects the surface to play similarly across the 40 overs.

Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Substitutes: Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox

Gujarat Titans Impact Substitutes: Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Sai Kishore

Mohammed Siraj has the new ball in hand, raring to start strongly against his former team RCB. Venkatesh Iyer joins Virat Kohli to open the batting for the reigning champions. Iyer makes a superb start, punching Siraj's first delivery off the backfoot to the fence.

Kagiso Rabada gets rid of the marauding Venkatesh Iyer for a 7-ball 19, as Shubman Gill completes a very good running catch. But that brings Devdutt Padikkal to the middle, who displays high-quality strokemaking at the outset. The southpaw, along with Kohli, takes Rabada for 18 runs in the fourth over and the RCB fifty comes up!

RCB: 50/1 (4)

Despite the wicket of Venkatesh Iyer, RCB have not stepped off the gas and considering the potential of the wicket, went hard on the bowlers. They had a good powerplay of 76/1, and both Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal looked in touch. Shubman Gill shuffled the bowling by introducing spin and Rashid Khan bowled a tight over.

RCB 92/1 (8)

Jason Holder has changed the momentum of the game. In a slightly tricky pitch with variable bounce, two paced nature, RCB were off the blocks very fast and Virat Kohli was looking really good. But Holder backed his strengths of hitting back of the length, and Kohli dragged one to his stumps. Immediately after that he made a well-set Devdutt Padikkal nick one to the hands of the wicketkeeper. GT have gathered some tight overs and have came back strong.

RCB 99/3 (10)

It has been a very interesting phase of play with bowlers and batters both throwing punches at each other. Jason Holder returned after the two wicket over but conceded a six and a four in the over. Kulwant Khejroliya pulled things back nicely, but then Prasidh Krishna created two chances of Rajat Patidar, but none of the GT fielders were successful in taking the catch.

RCB 140/3 (14)

RCB take momentum in their favour yet again. All started in the over of Kulwant Khejroliya where the bowler bowled two no balls and a Nishant Sindhu conceded a boundary due to misfield. It ended up being a 28-run over and Shubman Gill was left with no option but to go back to Rashid Khan. Patidar pounced on the opportunity and with Krunal smashed him for 21 runs in one over. They are in a solid position now to post a total of more than 230 runs on the board.

RCB 189/3 (16)

Rajat Patidar is well-set now and is flying high. He is playing some exceptional strokes against pace and some of them were jaw-dropping. Completes his half-century and looks well set to take RCB to a very strong total. Krunal holes out to the deep against Kagiso Rabada and Tim David struggled to find touch as well, getting cleaned up by Prasidh Krishna. RCB still ahead in the game.

RCB 214/5 (18)

Exceptional hitting from Rajat Patidar in the last over and he stays agonisingly unbeaten on 93. Came in at a time when RCB lost Kohli and Padikkal consecutively and he had to build a partnership with Krunal Pandya. Got some favour for luck and since then has went on to a hitting spree. Solid support from Krunal Pandya and crucial contribution from Jitesh Sharma. Earlier, all three of Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal gave RCB a solid foundation. They will back themselves to defend this total. GT will be under pressure coming out to chase.

RCB 254/5 (20)

The Gujarat Titans batting rests on the shoulders of their top three and two of them are already back in the pavilion. It needed a dash of luck for RCB but they will certainly welcome it. Sai Sudharsan timed a Jacob Duffy ball to the boundary but lost the grip during the follow through. The slipped bat bizarrely landed on his stumps, dislodging the bails. In the next over, Shubman Gill tried to stand and hit Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but ended up playing all around it and cleaned up. RCB comfortably on top here, despite of heavy dew.

GT 27/2 (3.1)

Bloodbath at the Dharamsala stadium. RCB have ended the match and any chances of Gujarat Titans in the powerplay only. GT will curse their luck given the way Sai Sudharsan was dismissed hit wicket but they looked out of sorts against the run pressure. Jos Buttler was looking good but took a risk too much and got cleaned up by a leg cutter from Josh Hazlewood. Rashik Salam came to close the PP and first got Nishant Sindhu caught and bowled and then made Holder mistime one to the hands of the mid-on fielder. Quality from the defending champions who look set for another final.

GT 51/5 (6)

After losing half the side, the Titans innings has went nowhere and they are reeling now to avoid a shameful defeat. Washington Sundar was the latest to depart after he tried to ramp Jacob Duffy but the third man fielder was placed fine who took a simple catch running to his right. Rashid Khan joined Tewatia at the crease and the duo look to take the game as deep as possible.

GT 70/6 (10)

After the dismissal of Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Tewatia has hogged the strike, has not rotated strike with Mohammed Siraj and looked to take the match as deep as possible. He has unleashed his sweeps and ramps and collected valuable runs to restore their confidence enough to carry into the qualifier 2. RCB have one foot in the final and need two wickets to make their second final in a row.

GT 123/8 (15)

Mohammed Siraj goes for the big hoick, skies it upward and Tim David completes a diving catch, ensuring that RCB move to the final, their second consecutive one. The defending champions are now one step away from winning the title yet again. This time, their charge was led by their captain Rajat Patidar, who scored a brilliant 33-ball 93 and stayed unbeaten, taking RCB to a mammoth total. Defending it, GT were reduced to 51/5 in the powerplay courtesy Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rashik Dar. From their everything was just a formality, although Rahul Tewatia showed some fight to keep up GT's morale. RCB will now wait for the other finalist while GT will face the winner of SRH vs RR in the Qualifier 2.