R Ashwin terms RCB favorites to win the IPL 2026 title in Ahmedabad
RCB hammered GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026
Both teams have previously won the IPL only once till now
After two months of intense competition featuring 74 matches and 10 teams, the Indian Premier League 2026 now comes down to one final showdown as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) battle for the title at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.
Both teams last met in Qualifier 1 a few days ago, where RCB hammered GT by 92 runs in a one-sided affair, leading to the Titans playing Qualifier 2 against the Royals to qualify for the final.
While GT are coming into the big home final after an easy 215-run chase against RR on the back of a scintillating ton by skipper Shubman Gill, former Indian off-spinning all-rounder and renowned cricket analyst Ravichandran Ashwin believes that RCB are the favorites to lift the trophy again despite the Titans' home advantage.
While Ashwin accepted that GT's record in Ahmedabad has been phenomenal and they surely have the advantage of playing at home, he gives RCB the upper hand, as they have been the more dynamic team throughout the team, with players have shown the fighting spirit for the franchise.
"The fact that GT are playing at their home ground, and that they've dominated there and made it a fortress, is something that's really going to give them that extra fillip going into the final. The two teams have very contrasting approaches. RCB have been willing to take that extra risk. They have a team with a few fighters in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya, who have turned up the heat this season. GT's home ground and their familiarity with those conditions is the only last piece of the puzzle standing between RCB and a second title, " Ashwin said while speaking to Jio Hotstar.
Ashwin has also cautioned RCB to not change their attacking way of playing cricket
For RCB, it doesn't matter whether they bat or bowl first, it is their final to lose. They are going in as the favourites. Whatever they do, they must not regress or play any less attacking cricket than they have throughout the season."
Ashwin On Kohli Vs Rabada Battle
R Ashwin also dissected Virat Kohli's batting approach against GT's pace by giving the example of his battle with their spearhead Kagiso Rabada. He said that Virat's pull shot to Rabada in Qualifier 1 was a statement by the veteran Indian batter that he's quite ready to take on the battle.
Virat is very smart, actually, in terms of understanding what's coming his way. In the last game in Dharamshala, he pulled one off Kagiso Rabada, and it's almost like he's telling himself, the world, and Rabada, 'You know what, I can pull that. You got me out in Ahmedabad, but I'm showing you that I've got that in my closet.'
He also explained that how GT tried to bowl wide to Kohli, to force his bottom hand to open up and induce a nick to the keeper or the slip fielders but the RCB opener countered it well in the last match.
"What GT have done to Virat is bowl really wide. They're asking his closed bottom hand to open up and go square of the pitch. He's gotten out nicking those balls over the last two years. Virat countered that well in Ahmedabad. They went back to that plan in Dharamshala, and he still handled it well," Ashwin
He also said that Virat could anchor the innings for RCB at one end as it allows the other batters around him to play high-risk cricket.
"Everybody in the RCB team would want Virat anchored in there for as long as he can, because that enables them to take the high-risk options they have played all through the season."
Ashwin Dissects Patidar's Effortless Spin Hitting Technique
Ravi Ashwin heaps praises on Rajat Patidar's spin-hitting abilities. He breaks down Patidar's technique against spinners, explaining how he effortlessly hit spinners for sixes by using his feet all across the stumps. He also compares his bat swing to that of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and shares how it helps him hit those monstrous sixes.
"He's a demonic spin-hitter. He's one of those very rare breeds of batters who climbs into deliveries using his feet, whether it's towards the stumps, outside leg stump, or through the covers, he steps into it. That's a very rare phenomenon. The reason he's able to do it is that he's diminutive in stature, but he's got a great bat swing, which just dips and goes to the highest point where he can really start using those levers, very much like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. It makes Shubman Gill's work a bit harder," Ashwin on Patidar's prowess against spin.
