The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will enter the first knockout game of the tournament. As it is match no. 71, the Qualifier 1 of the rich cash league, where the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala.
This is going to be an exciting encounter, as both teams finished in the top 2 and will have one more chance if they lose tonight. It has been one of the reasons teams like to finish in the top 2 of the table to get another chance if they falter in the first game. Fans will come in large numbers to see the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
IPL 2026: RCB vs GT Preview
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished at the top of the table with 18 points and a better run rate than other teams. Rajat Patidar and his team have played an amazing brand of cricket throughout the tournament. They would like to keep their momentum going and win tonight and also the trophy on May 31, and become the third team to defend it.
Gujarat Titans, who did not have a kick start in the beginning of the competition, came back strongly in the middle phase and accelerated towards the end to finish in the top 2 of the league. Shubman Gill will be looking to qualify for the final for the first time as a captain of a franchise and lead them to their second IPL trophy this season.
The RCB vs GT clash will be an exciting one, with both teams having amazing balance in their squad, with clinical batting along with fiery pace attack. The contest between the bat and ball will be mesmerising to watch as both sides have met 8 times and the contest is evenly poised with 4 wins each. This is the first time they will meet in a knockout game.
The pitch for the RCB vs GT clash will be a balanced wicket, the pacers with the new ball under lights will get some swing and seam movement, and good bounce as well. However, teams chasing have enjoyed more success at this venue during night games. The captain winning the toss would like to field first in a crucial clash.
RCB vs GT Toss Result Today IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to field first. Shubman Gill said, "We are going to bowl first. There's the dew factor. It's one of the most prettiest ground in the world."
RCB Playing XI vs GT Today IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood
GT Playing XI vs RCB Today IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
RCB vs GT Impact Players Today IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact Players: Romario Shepherd, Kanishk Chouhan, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox
Gujarat Titans Impact Player: Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Anuj Rawat, R Sai Kishore
