Virat Kohli will be the centre of attention on Tuesday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru lock horns with Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026 at Dharamsala. The 37-year-old batter has been drawing conversation after he declined to shake hands with Travis Head following RCB’s defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their most recent league fixture on Friday. In that match, Kohli managed only 15 as Bengaluru fell short of a formidable chase of 256 in Hyderabad. Even so, RCB finished first in the standings, securing the top spot through a superior net run rate.
Because Bengaluru are the defending champions, they will not just play one do-or-die game in this stage of the competition—they will have two bites at the cherry to reach the final. Yet Kohli’s recent record in the knockout phase remains a notable talking point for the franchise and its supporters.
In IPL playoffs, Kohli has produced 396 runs across 17 matches. His average in those high-pressure encounters stands at 26.40, while his strike rate is 121.10—numbers that will be scrutinised closely as the season heads into its decisive stretch.
This campaign, Kohli has already amassed 557 runs in 14 appearances. He also posted a score of 58 in the most recent match he played in Dharamsala earlier this month against Punjab Kings, adding a fresh layer of context ahead of Tuesday’s crucial contest.
Qualifier 1: Bengaluru eye the fast route, Titans chase momentum
- RCB will take their quiet confidence into Qualifier 1 when they meet Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium on Tuesday.
- The winner of Qualifier 1 will book a direct place in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
- The side that loses will still have a pathway to the title match, but it will require navigating the longer route through the next knockout game.
- Both teams concluded the league phase with 18 points from 14 matches, with Bengaluru finishing above the rest due to net run rate after delivering the most consistent performances across the campaign.
- Earlier in the season, when RCB chased 206 against Gujarat Titans at Bengaluru on April 24, the Shubman Gill-led group were still positioned around the middle of the table.
- From that turning point, Gujarat shifted gears, becoming the competition’s leading bowling unit and entering the final stages of the tournament as a genuine contender for a second IPL title.
