Gujarat Titans (GT) chased down a relatively low 156-run target in just 15. 5 overs while losing six wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 42 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front, scoring 43 runs off just 18 deliveries.
The Gujarat Titans, led by their captain Shubman Gill, had a strong start while chasing a small goal. He started out with force, hitting Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a four and a six in the first over. Gill maintained his attack in the following over, hitting Josh Hazlewood for two sixes and three fours to help GT advance to 36 without a loss after only two overs.
Sai Sudharsan displayed intention at the other end with a boundary, but he was soon out by Bhuvneshwar in the same over, scoring just six runs. Soon after, RCB had another opportunity to score, but Jitesh Sharma missed a crucial catch, giving Jos Buttler a lifeline.
In the fifth over, RCB finally had a breakthrough when Bhuvneshwar bowled Gill, who had been hitting a scorching 43 off 18 balls, and Virat Kohli caught him. But the missed opportunity was expensive because Buttler took advantage of it, smashing boundaries and bringing GT to 69/2 by the conclusion of the powerplay.
However, Bhuvneshwar clean bowled Buttler in the eighth over, bringing his aggressive innings to a conclusion with a score of 39 runs off 19 balls. Shahrukh Khan and Washington Sundar led the team beyond the 100-run mark, helping GT advance gradually despite the setback.
To keep the game alive, RCB retaliated by dismissing Sundar and Shahrukh in the eleventh over. But a vital partnership between Jason Holder and Rahul Tewatia helped stabilize the inning. Even if Suyash Sharma ignored Holder, Tewatia was still undefeated on 27 and easily led GT to victory with 25 balls remaining.
Romario Shepherd got two wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the team’s best bowler with three.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore got off to a sluggish start after being inserted to bat, with Mohammed Siraj giving up only six runs in the first over. When Virat Kohli assaulted Kagiso Rabada, hitting five boundaries in a row in a 21-run over, the momentum changed swiftly.
The Gujarat Titans made a comeback after a strong beginning when Jacob Bethell was easily taken out by Siraj. Kohli soon followed suit, misjudging a ball from Rabada and being caught by Rashid Khan for a quick 28 off 13 deliveries.
RCB reached 59/2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, thanks to Devdutt Padikkal’s steady run rate. But in a contentious choice that sparked protests from RCB players, captain Rajat Patidar was caught by Jason Holder after being brought down by Arshad Khan.
Jitesh Sharma was out by Holder, and Tim David was out by Rashid, causing the innings to fall apart swiftly. Krunal Pandya also lost his wicket at a low price, putting RCB in trouble with a score of 91/5.
Padikkal put up a strong fight, scoring 40 runs off 24 deliveries, but Rashid Khan ultimately bowled him. With minor additions from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Venkatesh Iyer, Romario Shepherd scored 17 as the lower order failed to rebound.
In 19. 2 overs, RCB was ultimately bowled out for 155. Rashid and Holder each grabbed two wickets during a strong bowling performance, and Arshad Khan took three wickets.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 155 all out in 19.2 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 40, Kohli 28; Arshad Khan 3-22, Rashid Khan 2-19, Jason Holder 2-29)
Gujarat Titans 158/6 in 15.5 overs (Shubman Gill 43, Jos Buttler 39; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-28, Romario Shepherd 2-30)