defending champion Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Delivered a sensational all-round performance to crush Gujarat Titans (GT) By winning Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 by 92 runs, they have confirmed their place in the final for the second consecutive season. Playing at the beautiful HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, RCB outclassed GT in every department, proving once again why they finished as table-toppers this season.
The emphatic win sparked celebrations among RCB fans and former franchise owners across the world vijay mallya He was one of the first to share his excitement after the blockbuster win.
Vijay Mallya’s reaction after RCB’s poor performance
Although Mallya is no longer associated with the franchise following the massive ownership change earlier this year, his emotional bond with RCB remains strong. The businessman, who played a major role in building the team during the early years of the IPL, took to social media to congratulate the team for their dominant playoff performance.
Praising the fearless approach shown by the Bengaluru-based franchise, Mallya posted an emotional message celebrating the team’s fighting spirit and aggressive brand of cricket.
“Many congratulations to RCB Namma Dodda Simhagulu for an emphatic win in Dharamshala tonight. You roared like the Bengaluru lions and entered the IPL final as defending champions.” He wrote on X.
Notably, Mallya has often spoken about his deep attachment to the franchise, especially because he was instrumental in bringing a young Virat Kohli Came back into the RCB setup in 2008. Even after being away from the team, he has continued to publicly support Bengaluru during crucial moments.
Clinical RCB defeated GT and secured a place in the final
The Qualifier 1 encounter turned into a nightmare for Gujarat Titans after RCB’s batting lineup completely collapsed. Invited to bat first, Bengaluru scored a mammoth score of 254/5 in 20 overs. rcb lost Venkatesh Iyer Initially, however, Kohli ensured that the momentum of the innings was maintained by playing a blazing inning of 43 runs off 25 balls. However, the innings actually belonged to the captain Rajat PatidarWho produced one of the most explosive innings in IPL playoff history.
Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls at an impressive strike rate of over 280 with the help of five fours and nine sky-high sixes. Krunal Pandya The duo completely changed the momentum of the game by demolishing GT’s bowling attack during the death overs. RCB scored 86 runs in the last five overs, leaving Gujarat with an almost impossible target.
Chasing 255 under pressure, Gujarat Titans never looked settled. RCB’s pace attack took full advantage of the conditions and immediately put GT on the back foot by striking repeatedly during the powerplay. jacob duffy He performed brilliantly with the ball and took three important wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam and Krunal Pandya took two wickets each.
Despite a fighting innings from Rahul Tewatia, who scored 68 runs in 43 balls, Gujarat Titans were eventually bowled out for 162 runs. With this spectacular win, RCB have now secured a direct entry into the finals of IPL 2026 and will go into the title clash with immense confidence. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans will get another chance in Qualifier 2 as they look to win the clash in Mullanpur.