Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) in the 34th match of 74 in the Indian Premier League 2026. RCB held their nerve at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, chasing 206 with an over to spare to consolidate second place – while Gujarat slip to seventh and their playoff hopes take a serious dent.
RCB won the toss and elected to bowl, and for most of the first innings it looked like a decision they would regret.
First Innings: Gujarat Titans 205/3 (20 Overs)
Sai Sudharsan was the story of the Gujarat innings. The opener was measured early before accelerating beautifully, bringing up his century off 58 balls – 11 fours and 5 sixes in a knock of 100. He and Shubman Gill put on a solid opening stand before Gill was caught for 32 off 24 balls at 128/1 in the 12th over (over 12.4). Sudharsan pushed on, and when he was finally removed caught at 160/2 in over 15.3, GT had a base to build from but the platform had arguably already been set.
Jos Buttler arrived and played a brisk hand of 25 off 16 before falling caught at 177/3 in over 17.4, leaving Washington Sundar (19* off 12) and Jason Holder (23* off 10, SR 230) to pile on late runs. Those two saw GT to 205/3 – a strong total at the Chinnaswamy, though not an insurmountable one.
For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/31, Econ 7.75) and Josh Hazlewood (1/40, Econ 10.00) each picked up a wicket, while Suyash Sharma claimed 1/36 (Econ 9.00). Krunal Pandya was expensive, going for 50 off 4 overs (Econ 12.50) without reward.
Second Innings: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 206/5 (18.5 Overs)
The chase required a statement from the top order, and Virat Kohli delivered. The RCB talisman was in superb touch, smashing 81 off 44 balls – 8 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 184. He anchored the chase alongside Devdutt Padikkal, who was arguably even more destructive: 55 off just 27 balls (SR 204), including 2 fours and 6 sixes.
Padikkal fell clean bowled at 141/2 in over 12.5, and shortly after Kohli was also cleaned up at 154/3 in over 13.4 – suddenly RCB needed 52 more from 6.2 overs with their two main contributors gone. Jitesh Sharma (10 off 6) and Rajat Patidar (8 off 5) both fell in quick succession, but Krunal Pandya (23* off 12, SR 192) and Tim David (10* off 9) kept their heads to guide RCB home with 7 balls remaining.
For GT, Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 2/49 (Econ 12.25). Jason Holder took 1/35 off 3.5 overs, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with 1/25 (Econ 8.33). Kagiso Rabada (0/45 from 4) and Prasidh Krishna (0/31 from 2, Econ 15.50) struggled to contain RCB on a flat surface.
Statz MVP: Sai Sudharsan (98.92/100)
Statz calculates impact based on match context – and by that measure, Sai Sudharsan edges this one with an MI rating of 98.92 out of 100. His century in a 205-run total was the single most influential contribution of the match.
The official Man of the Match went to Virat Kohli – and while 81 off 44 in a successful chase is match-winning, Statz disagrees. Sudharsan scored his hundred in a side that only made 205/3; without that innings, GT are likely posting a much more modest total and the match looks very different. Kohli had a chase to bat in; Sudharsan had to construct it from scratch. The formula rates that harder.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Sai Sudharsan (GT) – 200 Dream11 pts | MI Rating 98.92 – Century off 58 balls, the cornerstone of GT’s 205.
- Virat Kohli (RCB) – 159 Dream11 pts – 81 off 44 at the top of a 206-chase; official MoM.
- Devdutt Padikkal (RCB) – 125 Dream11 pts – 55 off 27 balls (SR 204), 6 sixes in a blistering cameo.
- Jason Holder (GT) – 82 Dream11 pts – 23* off 10 with the bat plus 1/35 with the ball; the best all-round effort.
- Rashid Khan (GT) – 56 Dream11 pts – 2/49 the pick of the GT bowling attack in a tough evening.
Turning Point
The dismissal of Sai Sudharsan in over 15.3 – caught at 160/2 with GT on 160 – was the decisive moment of the first innings. Sudharsan had scored 100 of those 160 runs. With him at the crease GT looked capable of 220-plus; without him, the innings lost its engine and they finished 15 runs short of what might have been a truly daunting total. That gap was exactly what RCB needed.
Match Context
This was the 34th match of 74 in the IPL 2026 Regular Season. RCB move to 10 points from 7 games (W5 L2, NRR +1.101), sitting second in the table behind Kolkata Knight Riders. They have won five of their last seven and are firmly in playoff contention. Gujarat Titans drop to seventh – 6 points from 7 (W3 L4, NRR -0.790) – and are now two wins adrift of the top four with the season entering its crucial phase. GT need a turnaround quickly, or the playoffs will be out of reach.
Full scorecard: RCB vs Gujarat Titans Scorecard – Statz
