Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) put in an impressive performance to defeat Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in ipl 2026 Ultimately and successfully retained their crown. Whereas Virat Kohli’s Former India spinner’s unbeaten 75 runs and disciplined bowling performance made headlines Harbhajan Singh He believes that the match was effectively decided much earlier in the evening.
Speaking after the final, Harbhajan pointed to a key moment during Gujarat Titans’ innings which he felt swung the contest in RCB’s favour. The former off-spinner explained why that dismissal had a significant impact on the outcome of the title clash in Ahmedabad.
Harbhajan Singh identifies the biggest moment of the IPL 2026 final
During a discussion on JioHotstar, Harbhajan was asked about its significance. Shubman Gill’s Out in IPL 2026 final. The former India spinner did not hesitate to call it the biggest success of the match for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“It was a big wicket. The best thing for RCB in this game was that his dismissal meant half the game was in their bag. He was the main batsman who was scoring runs consistently, and he could hit any bowler. In the last innings he had single-handedly won the match for his team.” He said.
Gill reached the final after enjoying another excellent IPL campaign and was expected to play a major role in Gujarat Titans’ quest for a second title. However, the GT skipper could only score 10 runs in eight balls before mistimeing Josh Hazlewood Offering delivery and catch Rajat Patidar.
Gujarat Titans came under pressure due to initial setbacks
Harbhajan also suggested that Gill might have been a little hasty in his approach considering Gujarat Titans were batting first in the high-pressure final. According to the former spinner, the wicket not only boosted the morale of RCB but also gave a big blow to Gujarat’s plans.
“He might have thought he might have delayed that shot. While batting first, at times, it is in your mind how many runs are needed, and the team against them is RCB, who have a lot of batting. I think he was a bit hasty. It was a big moment for RCB, but today it was the worst moment for GT, and then Sai Sudarshan’s wicket fell in the first six overs,” Harbhajan said.
Shortly after Gill’s departure, Gujarat Titans’ troubles deepened when Sai Sudarshan Was out after scoring 12 runs on 12 balls. The left-handed player attempted a pull shot. Bhuvneshwar Kumar But could only reach the ball to the wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. The double blow left Gujarat Titans struggling at 26/2 inside the powerplay, preventing them from building the strong platform that had become the hallmark of their batting throughout the season.