Ahmedabad, May 31: The final match of the Indian Premier League 2026 is taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, featuring Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Gujarat Titans (GT). After winning the toss, RCB opted to bowl first and successfully restricted GT to 155 runs.
The opening pair of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, which has been a headache for opposing teams throughout the tournament, faltered in this crucial match. Sudharsan scored 12 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while Gill managed only 10 runs off 8 balls before falling to Josh Hazlewood. The batting lineup of GT, heavily reliant on Sudharsan and Gill, appeared lackluster after their early dismissals, leading to a series of lost wickets.
Washington Sundar stood out as the only batsman to effectively counter RCB’s bowlers, finishing unbeaten with 50 runs off 37 balls. His performance was pivotal in helping RCB reach a total of 155 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs.
For GT, Nishant Sindhu scored 20 runs off 18 balls, Jos Buttler contributed 19 runs from 23 balls, Arshad Khan made 15 runs off 6 balls, and Rahul Tewatia scored 7 runs off 5 balls. Rashid Khan also managed 7 runs from 3 balls before getting out, while Rabada remained not out with 3 runs.
Focusing on RCB’s bowling, Rasikh Salam Dar was exceptional, taking 3 wickets for 27 runs in 4 overs. Josh Hazlewood also delivered a stellar performance, claiming 2 wickets for 37 runs in 4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2 wickets for 29 runs, and Krunal Pandya secured 1 wicket for 23 runs in his 4 overs. Jacob Duffy went wicketless, conceding 38 runs in 4 overs.
If RCB successfully chases down 156 runs, they will clinch the IPL title for the second consecutive year.
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