As much-awaited, the grand stage of Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium was electric on Sunday ipl 2026 final running between Gujarat Titans (GT) And Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). RCB captain winning the deciding toss Rajat Patidar Elected to field first, increasing the pressure on GT’s top order. The decision paid off early as RCB’s disciplined bowling unit outclassed the Titans’ stalwarts, a display of athleticism on the field that broke the back of the hosts’ batting lineup.
Rajat Patidar’s brilliant running grab ends Shubman Gill’s stay in IPL 2026 final
The decisive moment of the opening overs came in the third over of the match. Standing at 22/0, Gujarat Titans were relying heavily on their captain and star opener. Shubman GillTo wrap up the innings. Facing the Australian speedster’s 142 kmph fast ball Josh Hazlewood On the second ball of his spell, Gill attempted to break the tie with an aggressive cross-bat shot.
Hazlewood bowled a testing back-of-a-length ball just outside the off-stump, leaving Gill locked inside his crease. As Gill attempted to hit the ball over the infield, it hit the top of his bat and flew awkwardly into the sky above the mid-off region. Patidar launched a sensational run to his right, tracking the trajectory carefully from mid-off. Showing immense composure despite immense pressure, Patidar kept his eyes on the ball and safely pulled off a remarkable running catch. Gill was sent off after scoring 10 runs in 8 balls, which included two fours, leaving the Ahmedabad crowd stunned.
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2️⃣ Big wickets. 1️⃣ The beginning of dreams! 💥
what a start this is #rcb in Ahmedabad 🔥
Update ▶️ https://t.co/Yz6K3q6w0X#TATAIPL | #Last | #TheFinalLeap | #rcbvgt | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/loIvgOBVc4
– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) 31 May 2026
Also read: Shubman Gill reveals ‘best batsman of current times’ ahead of IPL 2026 final
GT is in trouble after top-order batting collapse against RCB
With Gill’s departure, Gujarat Titans’ top-order collapsed badly, leaving them under pressure for the IPL 2026 final. Veteran swing bowler shortly after captain’s dismissal Bhuvneshwar Kumar Hit in the fourth over, removed the dangerous Sai Sudarshan Caught out by the wicketkeeper after scoring 12 runs in 12 balls. Jitesh Sharma After a failed DRS review at the start of the game.
introduction of Rasikh Salaam The Titans’ troubles worsened. Salam out in the eighth over Nishant Sindhu Scored 20 runs in 18 balls thanks to a quick catch. Devdutt Padikkal. By the time strategic timeout was called at the end of the 9th over, Gujarat Titans had reached a delicate score of 59/3, managing a slow current run rate of 6.55.
RCB’s bowling attack held its ground completely Krunal Pandya Led a restrictive effort conceding only 9 runs in his two overs. Whereas jos buttler Remained unbeaten at the crease after scoring 12 runs in 13 balls washington beautifulThe early damage inflicted by Hazlewood, Kumar and Salam left the Titans with a massive recovery mountain to climb in the absolute summit clash of the season.
Also read: Shubman Gill addresses possibilities of T20I comeback with India ahead of IPL 2026 summit clash
