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Gujarat Titans suffer an early blow due to their ill fate as Sai Sudharsan departs in the most unconventional fashion in such a much-needed high-scoring game in the IPL 2026 qualifier.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru started off IPL 2026 on a promising note and are continuing their glorious run into the playoffs, as they are on the brink of entering consecutive IPL finals. Rajat Patidar and co. would be aiming for consecutive titles, becoming only the third team in IPL history to have achieved this record.
After the promising start from RCB batters, skipper Rajat Patidar wreaked havoc at Dharamshala and took his team to a score that looks unchasable from all aspects of a game. However, Titans could not give up without a fight after having made it to this level of the tournament.
Sai Sudharsan's bizzare dismissal ends GT's hopes for a Qualifier 1 victory
Coming into the chase, a massive 255-run target for the first time in the history of an IPL playoff, Sai Sudharsan, the orange cap holder and GT's best batter in the season, started off well with three boundaries off Jacob Duffy.
However, what happened in the third ball of Jacob Duffy's second over would be haunting Sai Sudharsan for a long time. Sudharsan tried to play a rasping cut short and placed the ball past point; however, the bat slipped from his hand and fell behind him, bouncing onto the stumps.
Nothing seemed to be going the Gujarat Titans' way as their best batter of the season got dismissed hit wicket in the most unconventional fashion. Sai Sudharsan became the second batter in the history of IPL playoffs to get dismissed through a hit wicket.
HOW UNFORTUNATE! 🤯
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2026
Probably the only way to end Sai Sudharsan's streak of five 50-plus scores 🫣
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar strikes back in the powerplay
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the highest wicket-taker of the season, not only for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru but also for the entire tournament. The ace pacer from India has been in rocking form this season, and his role has been special with the new ball.
Bhuvneshwar struck in the fourth over as he dismissed the Gujarat Titans skipper. Another aboslute beauty from the swing master. Easily on the off, shaping back into the off-stump, the big run-chase pressure building up on Gill pushes him into double thoughts as the ball hits the timber.
This marked Bhuvneshwar's 25th wicket of the season, making him the highest wicket-taker this season as he gears up for another purple cap finish in his already decorated career for the Royal Challengers.
Josh Hazlewood strikes back to end Jos Buttler's cameo and GT's hope for a win
While Josh Hazlewood carefully nudged off the Bhuvneshwar Kumar matchup, he looked to add some momentum to the game that was already looking like it was falling apart. With Buttler targeting Josh Hazlewood with some fours and a six, Hazlewood returned with a ball that pierced right through his defence.
With Buttler's dismissal for a score of 29, the big 3 in the GT lineup were back in the dugout, and Gujarat Titans' thinnest of hopes for a playoff spot were crushed by the RCB bowlers. The fall of wickets continued with Rasikh Salam striking twice in the final over of the powerplay.
ALSO READ: Rajat Patidar and Royal Challengers Bengaluru rewrite IPL playoff history in Qualifier 1 vs GT
