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A controversial moment in the IPL 2026 final. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans are very angry with the umpire’s decision. Was it a clean catch? The question remains.
Amid the controversy, Gujarat Titans (GT) batsman Washington Sundar got an extra lease of life when the team needed it most. on the sixth delivery of 10th In the over of the first innings, RCB fast bowler Jacob Duffy hit a bumper on middle and leg.
Washington Sundar escapes controversial catch in GT vs RCB IPL 2026 match.
Washington Sundar went to hook the ball, but was not able to middle it properly. After making contact with the blade, the ball flew high into the air towards fine leg, where substitute fielder Jordan Cox attempted a diving catch.
The RCB camp was celebrating as they thought it was a clean catch. But the umpire had a different opinion on Washington Sundar’s survival. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Rajat Patidar, who is known to maintain his composure and calmness in any match situation, also lost his cool due to the not-out decision. Patidar went straight to on-field umpire Nitin Menon to express his protest. However, the decision has been made, and Washington Sundar has got an extra lifeline.
RCB captain decided to bowl first
After winning the toss, the RCB captain decided to bowl first. Before the match, the pitch of Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad looked tricky. When the match started, the in-form batsmen of Gujarat Titans were finding it difficult to deal with the Bengaluru bowlers.
In-form openers Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill, who scored a century against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026, lost their wickets early in the innings. Like Sudarshan and Gill, another in-form GT batsman Josh Buttler also failed to perform well.
When most of the Titans batsmen were struggling in the middle, Washington Sundar came to the crease at a crucial time. GT needs someone who can play the role of anchor, Sundar has the skills to do this job and RCB knows it very well, so they were all set to take his wicket. Subfielder Jordan Cox and the entire RCB camp were confident of the catch, but the umpire rejected the appeal after reviewing the spot.
Shubman Gill looked full of confidence at the time of the toss
At the time of the toss, when Rajat Patidar said, “We will bowl first”, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill looked confident. When presenter Ravi Shastri asked Gill about his plans for the toss, Gill confidently claimed that he would not bowl first.
Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the home ground of Titans. They have already defeated Bengaluru on this pitch during the group stage of the season. Despite holding the home advantage, GT is currently at a disadvantage against the defending champions. Washington Sundar played an important role in the innings. Will this be enough to beat RCB? The second innings is going to be very exciting.
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