Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar performs a shot in the course of the IPL Qualifier 1 match in opposition to Gujarat Titans in Dharamshala on Mayh 26, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar had advised reporters forward of the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in opposition to the Gujarat Titans on the HPCA Stadium right here that he was wrongly being typecast as a spin-hitter. Patidar reckoned his timing and photographs have been extra suited to attacking the pacers. The 32-year-old supplied a devastating glimpse of that with an unbeaten, counter-attacking 33-ball 93 that helped his facet earn a commanding 92-run win on Tuesday and qualify for a second consecutive last.
Chasing RCB’s mammoth complete of 254 for 5, the best rating ever in an IPL playoff encounter, the Titans might solely huff and puff to 162, crumbling in opposition to the opponent’s frontline tempo assault.
Setting the tone
After being requested to bat first, Venkatesh Iyer set the ball rolling with three boundaries within the first over. Virat Kohli discovered the going so much harder in opposition to Kagiso Rabada’s short-of-a-length barrage, which ultimately helped the South African pacer induce a miscue from Venkatesh and get the opening breakthrough. Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal ensured the wicket didn’t stem the circulation of runs, discovering the gaps recurrently to take RCB to 76 for one on the finish of the PowerPlay, however the momentum swung when Jason Holder eliminated each the batters in an area of three balls.
After seeing out Holder’s spell, the introduction of the fifth bowler allowed Patidar and Krunal Pandya to play themselves in.
The Titans didn’t assist their trigger, committing just a few errors on the sphere, together with Patidar’s dropped catch. The 95-run affiliation between the pair gave the facet the impetus it wanted to speed up on the loss of life because the skipper and Jitesh Sharma completed on a excessive.
Unlucky dismissal
After a chronic delay on account of a light-weight present organised for the followers, GT suffered an unlucky early setback when B. Sai Sudharsan was dismissed hit wicket after enjoying a crisp sq. reduce.
Captain Shubman Gill, too, didn’t hassle the scorers a lot, undone by a size ball that moved in from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
For a facet that depends closely on the opening pair, the writing was on the wall early, and the middle-order, minus Rahul Tewatia, might do nothing to forestall the inevitable.
Revealed – Might 26, 2026 07:55 pm IST
