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After 73 games we have reached the final of IPL 2026, and fittingly it’s the two sides that finished top of the table who will face each other in front of a sold-out Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night.
Curiously the final will be the fourth meeting this season between the two sides, so it is fair to say that they know each other well now.
The spoils were shared 1-1 in the pool phase of the competition before RCB delivered GT a sound beating in Qualifier 1. Since then, GT have levelled up their confidence after completing their highest successful chase on Friday.
It’s the defending champions playing at the home of a side who have made three of the last four finals. Sunday is shaping up to be a final for the ages.
IPL final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Gujarat Titans
Key talking points
RCB
Defending champions RCB enter Sunday’s showcase with excellent momentum but a heavily reshuffled top order.
Following a tournament-ending injury to opener Phil Salt, all eyes shift to the legendary Virat Kohli, who must anchor the innings alongside Venkatesh Iyer.
Backed by the blistering form of Rajat Patidar and seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB’s biggest statistical anomaly is their undefeated record in playoff matches over the last two seasons when defending totals above 180.
GT
The Titans have proven their resilience by bouncing back from a heavy Qualifier 1 defeat to peak at the absolute perfect moment.
Skipper Shubman Gill leads from the front, boasting an astonishing 1,310 career runs at this specific Ahmedabad venue.
Alongside the firing Sai Sudharsan and ace quick Kagiso Rabada, GT’s core is purring. Intriguingly, statistical records show GT wins 78% of matches at this ground when chasing under heavy evening dew, making the toss a massive factor.
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the world’s largest cricket stadium, boasting a massive seating capacity of 132 000 spectators.
Functioning as the primary fortress for the Gujarat Titans, the venue features both red and black soil pitches that can alter playing conditions drastically. Expect the stadium to be packed for the final.
Captains drastically prefer to bowl first and chase at this venue.
Heavy evening dew frequently settles on the outfield during night matches, making the ball exceptionally difficult for bowlers to grip and allowing batsmen to line up shots with ease during the second innings.
The historical first innings average sits right around 175 runs.
However, the ground is highly pitch-dependent; black soil offers an even bounce that pushes par scores past 190, while red soil pitches assist spin and can produce sluggish, low-scoring games.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill dominates this venue, leading all players with 1 310 runs scored and counting.
His sensational run tally includes a venue-best individual score of 129 runs smashed during a high-stakes playoff match. He is followed closely by teammate Sai Sudharsan with 1 187 runs.
Local veteran Mohit Sharma and spin wizard Rashid Khan share the peak spot for the most wickets at the stadium, deadlocked at 29 scalps each.
Mohit Sharma holds the single-game record at the venue with his blistering career-best spell of 5/10 against the Mumbai Indians.
The highest successful chase recorded in the stadium’s IPL history is 205 runs, completed by the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Gujarat Titans.
The legendary match concluded with Rinku Singh pulling off an impossible feat, smashing five consecutive sixes in the final over to seal the win.
The lowest score successfully defended in a full 20-over IPL match at this ground is 130 runs.
The Delhi Capitals successfully restricted the Gujarat Titans to 125/6 in a low-scoring thriller, proving that the pitch can become a minefield if the ball grips.
The ground features an extreme scoring variance.
While it has hosted massive 230-plus batting exhibitions, the absolute lowest team total recorded at the stadium is 86 runs, when the Sunrisers Hyderabad were skittled out by the Gujarat Titans.
Also read: Biggest IPL blowouts ever – the most dominant wins in history
Weather
This Sunday evening in Ahmedabad, expect sweltering and humid conditions as afternoon heat lingers. Temperatures will hover around 37 degrees, though high humidity will make it feel closer to 42.
Skies will remain clear to partly cloudy, with no threat of rain. A gentle breeze from the west will offer little relief for spectators.
Form
- RCB: W, L, W, W, W
- GT: W, L, W, L, W
Predicted line-ups
RCB
Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar.
GT
Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna.
Key players
Virat Kohli
The Indian veteran is RCB’s ultimate trump card for Sunday’s final.
With Phil Salt sidelined by injury, the legendary batsman bears the immense responsibility of anchoring and accelerating the innings right from the powerplay – it’s a good thing for RCB that Kohli is a man who thrives on the big occasion.
Kohli’s unrivalled BMT, flawless chasing pedigree, and vast experience under extreme playoff pressure make him the absolute linchpin. If RCB is to lift the coveted trophy, they will need Kohli to deliver a vintage, masterclass performance.
Shubman Gill
India’s Test and ODI skipper and the heir apparent to Kohli, Gill has been in outstanding form all season.
He stroked a marvellous century in Qualifier Two, to steer his side to victory and he heads into the final second on the Orange Cap rankings with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the only player ahead of him.
Gill is averaging 48.13 this season and he heads into the final with one century and six half tons from 15 innings, his runs coming at a strike-rate of 163.71.
Prediction: Gujarat Titans
This is not an easy one to call but home ground advantage will count for a lot. RCB were sensational against GT in Qualifier One, handing out a genuine hiding, but it is hard to see that gulf unfolding for two games in a row.
GT’s bowling unit is very strong and that should ultimately prove to be the difference.
Read next: The next big thing? Five uncapped IPL stars set to dominate in the future
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