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In the Qualifier 1 match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by 92 runs. With this victory, RCB made it to the finals. In the match played in Dharamshala, RCB had scored a huge score of 254 runs at the loss of 5 wickets. In response, GT got bundled out for 162 runs in 19.3 overs. Now GT, captained by Shubman Gill, will have to play Qualifier 2 to get the ticket for the title match.

Captain Rajat Patidar was the hero of RCB’s victory. Patidar played an explosive inning of 93 runs in 33 balls, which included 5 fours and 9 sixes. Patidar got a lease of life on his personal score of 20 runs, taking advantage of which he played a match-winning innings.

RCB was stuck

RCB, who came to bat first after losing the toss, got a stormy start from Venkatesh Iyer (19 runs in 7 balls). But he could not last long. He was caught by captain Shubman Gill on the last ball of the second over by Kagiso Rabada. After the first blow at 21 runs, Virat Kohli (43) and Devdutt Padikkal (30) rescued RCB by adding 72 runs for the second wicket. Jason Holder broke this dangerous partnership by dismissing Kohli in the 9th over. In the same over, he derailed RCB’s innings by taking the wicket of Padikkal.

Now there were two new batsmen at the crease, Patidar and Krunal Pandya. Both started handling RCB. Left arm fast bowler Kulwant Khejroliya, playing his first match of this season, conceded only 3 runs in the 14th over, which increased the pressure on Patidar-Krunal. In the next over, Patidar tried to play a big shot on the first ball of Prasidh Krishna, which took the top edge and stood behind wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Butler ran. On the other hand, Khejroliya standing at deep third also ran. In the end the ball fell between Butler and Khejroliya.

The match was overturned here in Dharamshala

Patidar narrowly escaped. After this he hit a four. Patidar also tried to send the next ball outside the boundary lawn, which did not happen in time. Kagiso Rabada, standing at deep midwicket, ran forward and tried to take the catch with both hands but he missed the catch.

Patidar was currently playing after scoring 20 runs in 12 balls. He capitalized on this gift of life well and hit two fours and a six against Khejroliya in the next over, i.e. the 16th over. Khejroliya had given away 14 runs on the first 3 balls of this over. Krunal hit him for two fours. Khejroliya, meanwhile, had bowled two no-balls and one wide. Patidar made his over more expensive and scored 28 runs in the over by hitting a boundary on the last three balls.

Patidar had missed the catch in the very last over and then Khejroliya’s over shifted the entire momentum towards RCB, which proved to be the turning point in the match. After this, Patidar played with GT’s bowling and took RCB beyond 250, which proved to be a mountain for GT.