Royal Challengers Bengaluru crushed Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday, 26 May, booking their place in the final for the second consecutive season. Defending champions RCB posted a record-breaking 254/5 — the highest total in IPL playoff history — before dismissing Gujarat for 162 in 19.3 overs.

Patidar's Record Blitz Sets the Platform

After losing the toss and being sent in, RCB tore into the Gujarat attack from the first ball. Venkatesh Iyer set the tone with a blistering 19 off 7 balls, including three fours and a six, before falling to Kagiso Rabada. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal kept the momentum going, taking RCB to 76/1 at the end of the Powerplay — their best Powerplay score of the season.

Jason Holder brought Gujarat back briefly, dismissing Kohli for 43 off 25 balls and Padikkal for 30 off 19. But captain Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya steadied and then exploded. Krunal blazed 43 off 28 balls with five fours and two sixes. Patidar, dropped twice by Gujarat fielders, made them pay emphatically — reaching his fifty in a stunning 21 balls and finishing unbeaten on 93 off just 39 deliveries, laced with five fours and nine sixes. Jitesh Sharma contributed 15 late in the innings. Gujarat's fielding woes — no-balls and misfields — compounded their troubles throughout.

Gujarat's Chase Collapses in the Powerplay

Chasing 255, Gujarat were never in the contest. Sai Sudharsan made an enterprising start before a bizarre dismissal: he lost his grip on his bat while playing a shot, the bat rebounded onto the stumps, and he was out for 14 off 9 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then bowled Gujarat captain Shubman Gill for just 2, and Josh Hazlewood clean-bowled a counter-attacking Jos Buttler — who had smashed a rapid 29 off 11 balls — immediately after he had been hit for boundaries.

Rasikh Salam Dar delivered the knockout blow in the final over of the Powerplay, dismissing Nishant Sandhu and Jason Holder in the same over. Gujarat stumbled to 51/5 at the end of six overs, with the game already effectively over.

Duffy and Bowlers Complete the Demolition

New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was the pick of the RCB bowlers, removing Washington Sundar for 8 and then Rashid Khan, reducing Gujarat to 87/7 in 11 overs. Duffy finished with figures of 3/39. Krunal Pandya dismissed Kagiso Rabada — caught by Virat Kohli at long-on — and wrapped up the tail to end with 2/16. Bhuvneshwar took 2/28, including the prized wicket of Rahul Tewatia, who fought a lone battle with a spirited 68 off 43 balls featuring eight fours and four sixes.

Historic Total, Back-to-Back Finals

RCB's 254/5 is now the highest score ever recorded in IPL playoff history, underscoring the scale of their dominance on the night. The victory sends the defending champions into the IPL 2026 final for the second season running — a mark of consistency that had eluded the franchise for much of its history. Gujarat, meanwhile, will face the winner of Qualifier 2 for the right to meet RCB in the final.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 254/5 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 93*, Virat Kohli 43, Krunal Pandya 43; Jason Holder 2/39, Kagiso Rabada 2/54) beat Gujarat Titans 162 all out in 19.3 overs (Rahul Tewatia 68, Jos Buttler 29; Jacob Duffy 3/39, Krunal Pandya 2/16, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/28) by 92 runs.