The race to the IPL 2026 intensifies as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday, May 26. With a direct place in the final at stake, both sides will be eager to seize the advantage, although the losing team will still have another opportunity through Qualifier 2.
RCB finished at the top of the points table with 18 points and a superior net run rate, while Gujarat Titans ended the league stage with an identical win-loss record. Having been among the most consistent teams throughout the season, both franchises now stand on the brink of the IPL 2026 final.
The contest between RCB and GT has remained evenly poised since Gujarat’s entry into the IPL. The two sides have met eight times, with both teams winning four matches each. Interestingly, every previous IPL meeting between RCB and GT has been won by the team batting second.
RCB vs GT Head-to-Head Record:
Matches Played: 8
RCB Won: 4
GT Won: 4
No Result: 0
Virat Kohli remains the highest run-scorer in matches between the two teams with 460 runs, while Mohammed Siraj leads the wicket-taking charts with seven wickets.
Phil Salt fitness update boosts RCB
RCB captain Rajat Patidar has provided an encouraging update ahead of the playoffs, with opener Phil Salt returning to fitness after recovering from a finger injury. However, Patidar remained cautious and confirmed that a final decision on Salt’s inclusion would be taken after assessing the match conditions.
The Bengaluru franchise will also miss Jacob Bethell, who has been ruled out with a finger injury. Venkatesh Iyer, who impressed during the latter stages of the league phase, is expected to continue playing a significant role.
Another key player for RCB could be veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The swing specialist boasts an impressive record against Gujarat’s top order, having dismissed Jos Buttler nine times and Shubman Gill five times in T20 cricket.
Gujarat Titans aim to continue consistency
Unlike RCB, Gujarat Titans enter the playoff clash without any fresh injury concerns. Led by Shubman Gill, GT possess one of the most balanced squads in the competition.
The Titans will rely heavily on their explosive top three of Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, while their pace attack featuring Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna provides a formidable threat with the ball.
Gill and Sudharsan are the top two highest-run scorers this season, and they have reached 21 fifty-plus partnerships in just 46 innings, the fastest by any pair in IPL history. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli took 59 innings to achieve the milestone, while AB de Villiers and Kohli needed 76 innings.
GT are also expected to target Rajat Patidar with short-pitched bowling after successfully troubling the RCB skipper in their previous meeting earlier this season. The toss could therefore play a crucial role in determining team strategies.
