Dharamshala, May 27 (H.S.): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a commanding 92-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1. In the match played at the HPCA Stadium on Tuesday, RCB posted a massive total of 254/5 after batting first and then registered a one-sided win through a dominant bowling performance.
Expressing happiness over the team’s collective success, RCB captain Rajat Patidar said, “I have said this before as well — this team is not dependent on any one player. Every player is contributing to the team, and that is our greatest strength. Players like Virat, Venky, Bethell, and Salt have provided excellent starts throughout the tournament, which has given us a strong foundation.”
Rajat Patidar played a captain’s knock, smashing 93 runs off just 33 balls. His explosive batting completely shifted the momentum in RCB’s favour during the middle overs.
Patidar said, “At the beginning, I was only trying to understand the pitch and pick the right areas. But after playing the pull shot against Holder, I gained clarity in my batting. After that, my focus was simply on maximising the momentum.”
Padikkal Showed Aggressive Intent
Devdutt Padikkal played a brisk innings of 30 runs off 19 balls and praised the fearless approach of the team. He said, “Reaching the final in consecutive years is a huge achievement. Before the match, we had spoken about getting off to an aggressive start, and today we executed that perfectly. We created pressure from the very first ball.”
Praising the captain’s innings, Padikkal added, “I especially want to appreciate Rajat. His innings under pressure in such a big match was unbelievable. He stepped up and led the team from the front.”
Dinesh Karthik Praises Batters’ Intent
Veteran RCB player Dinesh Karthik lauded the team’s positive mindset. He said, “The intent of the players was outstanding right from the start. Venky, Virat, and Devdutt gave us an excellent beginning, and we maintained aggression throughout the innings. In such high-pressure matches, many teams become defensive, but we kept applying pressure consistently.”
Karthik further added, “Before the match, Virat spoke about the importance of body language, and today the team’s attitude was exceptional. We played like champions.”
Several Major Records Created in the Match
-254/5 became the highest total in IPL playoff history
- RCB recorded their best powerplay score of the season with 76/1
-Virat Kohli completed 600-plus runs in an IPL season for the sixth time
-Since 2023, Virat has scored more than 600 runs in four consecutive seasons
-Bhuvneshwar Kumar remains at the top of the Purple Cap race with 26 wickets
-Krunal Pandya became the first player this season to achieve 200-plus runs and 10-plus wickets
RCB will now play the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on May 31. The team will aim to secure back-to-back titles and become only the third franchise in IPL history to win consecutive championships.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
