The last time we took on RCB, Arshad Khan starred with a brilliant three-wicket haul and will aim to make a similar impact once again.
25 May, 2026
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After sealing a top-two finish in the league stage, we now shift our focus towards the knockout stage as we gear up to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday, May 26. With a place in the final at stake, the high-voltage clash is set to begin at 7:30 PM IST.
Coming into this crucial encounter, we will be brimming with confidence after registering a commanding victory over Chennai Super Kings in our final league-stage fixture. Led by our skipper Shubman Gill, our boys produced a complete all-round performance to head into the playoffs on a strong note.
Put in to bat first against Chennai, Sai Su lit up the innings with a stunning 84 off 53 balls, smashing seven fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 158.49. Gill complemented him brilliantly with a fluent 64 off just 37 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and three maximums at 172.97.
Post Gill's departure in the 13th over, Jos Buttler took complete control and dismantled the Chennai bowling attack with an unbeaten 57 off 27 balls, powering us to a formidable 229/4.
With the ball, Mohammed Siraj struck on the very first delivery of the innings and later removed Ruturaj Gaikwad and Urvil Patel to put Chennai under immediate pressure.
Kagiso Rabada further dented the opposition by dismissing Matthew Short before adding the wickets of Noor Ahmad and Spencer Johnson.
Our Afghan spin wizard Rashid Khan then spun the game firmly in our favour with a brilliant three-fer, removing Shivam Dube before striking twice in the 13th over to dismiss Anshul Kamboj and Dewald Brevis.
Our bowlers delivered a clinical performance to seal a massive 89-run victory, marking our biggest win in TATA IPL history.
Now, all eyes turn towards the blockbuster clash against RCB. The last time we faced the Rajat Patidar-led side, Arshad Khan starred with the ball by claiming three wickets while maintaining an impressive economy rate of 6.60. His spell played a crucial role in bundling out Bengaluru for 155.
Ahead of Tuesday’s Qualifier 1 clash, our squad reflected on the impact of captain Shubman Gill’s leadership and the composure with which he has guided the team this season.
While our batting unit has dazzled all season, our bowling attack has been equally dominant, with our Titans claiming a tournament-high 107 wickets in TATA IPL 2026.
With momentum on our side and a place in the final within touching distance, we will look to deliver another dominant performance and take one step closer towards IPL glory. Aava De!
Gujarat Titans squad for TATA IPL 2026:
Batters: Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan
All-Rounders: Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan
Wicket-keepers: Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Connor Esterhuizen
Bowlers: Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Ashok Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Luke Wood, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans head-to-head record
Our Titans have faced the Royal Challengers Bengaluru eight times in the TATA IPL so far, winning four of those encounters. The last time we faced RCB in TATA IPL 2026, our boys registered a massive four-wicket win.
A look at the opposition
Led by Rajat Patidar, Royal Challengers Bengaluru boast a formidable batting lineup featuring Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal at the top, with Patidar, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd adding firepower in the middle order.
Their bowling attack is equally strong, with experienced pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam leading the pace unit, while Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya spearhead the spin department.
Milestones to keep an eye on
Shubman Gill is one maximum away from scoring 150 sixes in TATA IPL.
Sai Sudharsan is 62 runs shy of scoring 700 runs in TATA IPL 2026.
Kagiso Rabada needs seven wickets to complete 150 wickets in TATA IPL.
Prasidh Krishna is 12 wickets away from scalping 100 wickets in TATA IPL.
