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A controversial moment in the IPL 2026 final. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans are absolutely furious over the umpire’s decision. Was it a clean catch? The question remains.
Amid the controversy, Gujarat Titans (GT) batter Washington Sundar gets an extra lifeline when the team needed it the most. On the sixth delivery of the 10th over of the first innings, RCB pacer Jacob Duffy launched a bumper on the middle and leg.
Washington Sundar survives the controversial catch in the GT vs RCB IPL 2026 match.
Washington Sunder went to hook the ball, but could not middle it properly. After making the connection with the blade, the ball went high into the air towards the fine leg, where the substitute fielder Jordan Cox tried to take a diving catch.
The RCB camp was celebrating as they thought it was a clean catch. But the umpire had a different opinion as Washington Sundar survived. Rajat Patidar, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper, who is known for possessing composure and calmness under any situation of a match, also lost his calm because of the not-out decision. Patidar went straight to the on-field umpire Nitin Menon to show their protest. However, the decision has been made, and Washington Sundar is blessed with an extra lifeline.
RCB skipper elected to bowl first
Winning the toss, RCB skipper elected to bowl first. The pitch of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad looked tricky before the match. When the match started, the in-form batters of the Gujarat Titans found it difficult to deal with the Bengaluru bowlers.
The in-form openers, Sai Sudharshan and Shubman Gill, who scored a century against the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2026, lost their wickets early in the innings. Like Sudharshan and Gill, Josh Buttler, another in-form batter of GT, also failed to fire.
When most of the Titans' batters were struggling in the middle, Washington Sundar walked into the crease at the crucial time. GT needs someone who can play an anchor role, Sundar has the skills to do that job, and RCB knows it very well, so they were all in to claim his wicket. The subfielder Jordan Cox and the entire RCB camp were confident about the catch, but the umpire denied the appeal after reviewing the moment.
Shubman Gill looked confident at the toss
At the toss, when Rajat Patidar said "we will bowl first", Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill was looking confident. When the presenter, Ravi Shahstri, asked Gill about their plans for the toss, Gill confidently claimed that they would not bowl first.
Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium is the home ground of the Titans. On this pitch, they have defeated Bengaluru in the past, during the group stage of the season. Despite having the home advantage, GT are currently on the wrong foot against the defending champions. Washington Sundar has played a vital role in the innings. Will it be enough to outplay RCB? The second innings is going to be every exciting.
Read More: Bhuvneshwar Kumar refuses to put respect on Shubman Gill's name during IPL 2026 Final.
