Royal Challengers Bengaluru seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar revealed that several RCB players actually welcomed losing the toss in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026, backing their batting depth and bowling execution to do the job — a conviction that proved well-founded as RCB crushed Gujarat Titans by 92 runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday to march into their second successive IPL final.

Record Playoff Total Sets the Platform

RCB posted a record playoff total of 254/5, anchored by captain Rajat Patidar's unbeaten 93 off 39 balls — an innings that left Gujarat with a mountain to climb. The chase never got going, with Gujarat bowled out for 162, handing RCB a comprehensive victory and a place in the final.

Why Bhuvneshwar Saw the Toss Loss as an Advantage

Bhuvneshwar explained the mindset inside the RCB camp after Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to field. 'Generally, if you lose the toss on a ground like this, the morale can be down because it's a good batting wicket, the ball travels and the dew is a factor here. But after the toss, there were four to five players, including me, who thought it was a good toss to lose because on a flat wicket like this, if you put up a big score, the opposition will have to bat really well to chase it down. And with the way we have been bowling and executing, we knew it wouldn't be easy for them,' he said.

That confidence was quickly borne out. Bhuvneshwar himself removed Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill cheaply before dismissing Rahul Tewatia with a well-disguised slower ball to further dent the chase.

The Science Behind RCB's Scramble Seam Strategy

Bhuvneshwar shed light on one of RCB's most deliberate bowling strategies this season — the heavy use of scramble seam deliveries. He made clear it was not a random variation but a calculated response to surface conditions. 'We've used the scramble seam a lot, looking at the wickets and conditions, and it's not just me, Josh Hazlewood, Duffy, all of them have done it. When GT bowled, we saw that there wasn't much swing there. A lot of planning goes into it, when to use it, it's not random, and it depends on how the wicket is behaving,' he explained.

He added: 'When there's a bit of seam or swing in the first six, I try to extract that and try something that will be difficult for batters to hit. So, it's about being proactive, like batters are these days. If it's a slow wicket, where the ball might stop on the surface, I may use the knuckle ball sometimes, but mostly it's the scramble seam, considering the wicket and conditions.'

Jacob Duffy led RCB's bowling figures with three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, and Krunal Pandya each contributed two wickets to complete the rout.

Patidar's Leadership Earns Dressing Room Respect

Bhuvneshwar also offered a candid assessment of captain Patidar's leadership, noting that navigating a dressing room packed with senior players is no small feat. 'Rajat is a very simple human being off the field as well. When you become a captain, I can understand, it was his first season and there were many senior players in the dressing room, so he didn't interfere much. But he is so mature, he knows when to say something, where to give suggestions and when to let the bowlers do their thing,' he said.

He added that Patidar's batting style also provides a structural assurance to the team: 'We know that if Rajat is playing, the run rate will be taken care of because of the way he plays. And if you are respected in the dressing room, that's the best thing, and he has earned that for sure.'

RCB Head Into the Final With Momentum

With bat and ball firing in unison at the right moment of the tournament, RCB now enter the IPL 2026 final as defending champions chasing back-to-back titles — a feat only a handful of franchises have achieved in IPL history. How they manage conditions and opposition in the final will be the next test of the tactical clarity Bhuvneshwar described.