Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their place in the Indian Premier League 2026 final after registering a commanding 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Dharamsala on Tuesday. Captain Rajat Patidar was the star of the show, walking away unbeaten on 93 off just 33 balls as RCB put up an imposing total of 254/5 in their 20 overs. Gujarat Titans, in reply, never got going and crumbled to 162 all out in 19.3 overs.
This victory in Qualifier 1 now stands as the second-biggest win by margin of runs in the history of the IPL playoffs. In achieving this, RCB went past Chennai Super Kings’ 86-run victory over Delhi Capitals at Chepauk back in 2012.
Biggest Wins In IPL Knockouts/Playoffs (By Runs)
105 runs: Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Capitals, 2008, Wankhede, 1st Semi-Final
92 runs: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans, 2026, Dharamsala, Qualifier 1
86 runs: Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals, 2012, Chennai, Qualifier 2
81 runs: Mumbai Indians beat Lucknow Super Giants, 2023, Chennai, Eliminator
71 runs: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Rajasthan Royals, 2015, Pune, Eliminator
RCB’s run fest
RCB were invited to bat first and made the most of the opportunity in emphatic fashion. Patidar produced a captain’s knock for the ages, taking the attack to the opposition bowlers right from the outset and finding the boundary with remarkable frequency. He survived two early dropped chances but went on to make the GT bowlers pay dearly, striking nine sixes and five fours in his breathtaking knock. RCB were particularly brutal in the closing stages of their innings, plundering 114 runs off the final six overs, with 86 of those coming in the last five alone.
GT crumbled under big score
Gujarat Titans needed to make a positive start to their chase but instead found themselves in deep trouble almost immediately. Wickets tumbled rapidly in the powerplay, and Sai Sudharsan departed in a highly unusual manner when his bat slipped and made contact with the stumps. Shubman Gill was then removed for a low score, and GT found themselves reeling at 51/5 with the game already slipping away from them. Rahul Tewatia put up a spirited fight with a gutsy 68 but could not find adequate support from the other end, and GT were eventually bowled out for 162, falling well short of their target.
Earlier in the RCB innings, Virat Kohli contributed a brisk 43 while Devdutt Padikkal chipped in with a useful 30, giving their side a solid platform at the top. Although GT bowlers managed to slow the scoring rate somewhat during the middle phase of the innings, the opportunities their fielders spurned by dropping two catches off Patidar proved to be an absolute turning point. Patidar capitalised fully on those reprieves and, together with Krunal Pandya who contributed 43, powered RCB to a total that ultimately proved completely beyond the reach of Gujarat Titans.
Bureau Report
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