RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: Rajat Patidar's brilliance takes defending champs back to title game – Action in Images

One-way action in the IPL's Qualifier 1 as GT are thoroughly overpowered and outclassed in Dharamshala by defending champs RCB, who win by 92 runs.

Published on: May 26, 2026 11:50 PM IST

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Published on May 26, 2026 11:50 PM

A couple of key moments going against GT, but in truth it was RCB all the way as they booked a spot in another IPL final. Rajat Patidar will take the headlines with a captain's performance for a record playoff score, before the bowling blew apart GT's batting to make the match a near-formality. Dominant start to the playoffs. (PTI)

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Venkatesh Iyer started on fire with a few big hits and excellent shotmaking, but his stay didn't last long – Kagiso Rabada with the wicket, giving GT a good start. (PTI)

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But the wicket didn't matter much to Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. The pair joined forces and continued the onslaught, scoring at a quick rate and making it a very successful powerplay for RCB. The platform was set, as Kohli continued to play in his ultra-attacking avatar despite a few early struggles in this knock. (PTI)

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GT seemed to reverse the momentum thanks to Jason Holder – after a quiet post-powerplay spell, Holder returned to take the wickets of both Kohli and Padikkal in the same over, suddenly giving GT a chance to force RCB onto the back foot. (PTI)

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But RCB wouldn't stay on the backfoot for long. Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya spent a couple of overs restructuring, before beginning to tee off again. Their powerplay gave RCB all the momentum again, with some truly spectacular hitting as no bowler was spared. (PTI)

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Captain Patidar finished on 93*(33), a glittering innings with sixes all over the ground, nine in total for the night. His innings pushed RCB to 254/5, a record total in a playoff game, and really lit up the Dharamshala night – perhaps even more than the half-time laser show to follow. (PTI)

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The start to GT's chase was as unfortunate as it could get. Sai Sudharsan hit a few terrific boundaries, but was dismissed in the most unlikely way – the bat slipping from his hands, hitting the turf, and spinning back onto his stumps, after he had already creamed a boundary. (REUTERS)

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Whatever slim faith GT had vanished very quickly. Shubman Gill was undone by a beauty from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, still looking to be in the best touch of his career. Soon later, Jos Buttler also fell to Josh Hazlewood, as GT's top-class top three fell apart in the powerplay – all in all, five wickets in the first six. (REUTERS)

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Virat Kohli, expressive as always, with a simple message to Gujarat Titans. Not quite, Virat – a rematch on the cards, but GT with a chastening loss, returning to lick their wounds. (PTI)

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Jacob Duffy was the star with the ball with three wickets for RCB, but equally impressive was Rasikh Dar, who took a doiuble-wicket maiden to start his spell – the game was settled. (AFP)

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Some late fight shown by Rahul Tewatia, who registered his biggest IPL score with a fighting half-century, but the game was settled by the time he got to his shot-making. But ensured that the loss, at least on paper, didn't appear as big as it might have felt. A very decent 68. (PTI)

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So now – back to back finals for RCB, with a chance to defend their title from 2025. Back to Ahmedabad, where they will await one of the remaining trio in the playoffs. Not all doom and gloom for GT, but a chastening loss that leaves them with things to think about. (PTI)