RCB Faces Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 Final Showdown
RCB vs GT: IPL 2026 Final Highlights
The IPL 2026 final is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, May 31, featuring the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) led by Rajat Patidar against Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT). This marks RCB's second consecutive appearance in the IPL final, although they have opted not to include Venkatesh Iyer in their starting lineup. Nevertheless, Iyer is expected to play a significant role in RCB's batting order as he has been named an Impact Player. Since IPL 2023, he has transitioned to a specialist batter, having bowled just one over.
In the current season, Iyer has accumulated 177 runs across five innings. He made his debut for RCB against the Rajasthan Royals on April 10 and returned to the playing XI against GT on April 30. Notably, he scored an impressive 73 runs off 40 balls against the Punjab Kings and opened the innings against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he managed 44 runs off just 19 balls despite the team's loss. In the first Qualifier against the Gujarat Titans, he contributed 19 runs off 7 balls.
RCB's Decision to Bowl First
During the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar announced their decision to bowl first, maintaining the same lineup as previous matches. He stated, "We will bowl first. It's a pretty good wicket. The ball will come nicely on the bat, but to be honest, it will not change in the 40 overs. So we'll try to get them early as possible." In contrast, GT captain Shubman Gill expressed that they would have chosen to bat first, citing the good wicket conditions and the importance of putting runs on the board in a final.
Playing XIs for Both Teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam DarGujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (Captain), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj