- RCB vs GT in Qualifier 1 will decide who makes the IPL 2026 final.
- RCB and GT have played each other twice this season, each winning one game.
- GT are the in-form team coming into the IPL 2026 playoffs.
Table toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru are all set to take on second-placed Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. The 2025 IPL champions face the 2022 IPL champions with an eye on a place in the final.
The two sides have already faced each other twice this season, winning one apiece. This will, however, be the first time the two teams face each other in the playoffs phase of the competition.
RCB vs GT match details
| Match | RCB vs GT, Qualifier 1 |
| Date and Time | 3:00 PM (BST), 7:30 PM (IST) |
| Venue | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala |
Form guide
Although RCB head into this game as the number one team on the points table, one could argue that the GT are the in-form team heading into the playoffs. Gujarat have won six of their last seven matches. This was an incredible turnaround after winning just three games in the first of the league phase.
That run also had victories over each of the playoff teams, including a four-wicket win against RCB. Their last three wins in the tournament have all come batting first, and have all been by a margin of 75+ runs.
Bengaluru, on the other hand, face slight hiccups in the second half of the season. Rajat Patidar’s team have won just three of their last six games. Their most recent outing was a 55-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bengaluru will need to dig deep in order to beat a GT side that seems to be on quite a roll.
RCB vs GT head-to-head
RCB vs GT has taken place eight times since Gujarat joined the IPL in 2022. Tonight’s game, however, will be the first time they go up against each other in the IPL playoffs.
| Matches Played | 8 |
| RCB Won | 4 |
| GT Won | 4 |
| First Meeting | 30 April, 2022 (GT won by 6 wickets) |
| Most Recent Meeting | 30 April, 2026 (GT won by 4 wickets) |
Key players to watch
As has been the case for them over the years, GT’s openers are absolutely crucial to their chances. Unsurprisingly, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are numbers one and two in the Orange Cap list for most runs scored over the ongoing season.
Sudharsan’s only hundred this season came against the Royal Challengers as well. He has scored 265 runs against RCB over the course of his career. In fact, his average and strike rate of 53 and 150.6 against Bengaluru are higher than his corresponding career numbers of 44.3 and 142.6. However, it was Gill’s takedown of Josh Hazlewood that facilitated GT’s win over RCB at Ahmedabad.
RCB’s chances will hinge on the performances of a couple of elder statesmen on their side. Virat Kohli was Player of the Match when the two sides first faced off this year in Bengaluru for a 44-ball 81. As is often the case, he is also RCB’s leading run-scorer this season. His battles with joint-highest wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada could make or break the RCB innings. With the ball, Purple Cap holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar probably holds the keys for Bengaluru.
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