NEW DELHI: If anyone ever puts together a shortlist of the most unfortunate dismissals in IPL history, Sai Sudharsan’s run-out-by-bat mishap in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 is bound to sit right near the top. After Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a towering 254 for 5 against Gujarat Titans at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday, the chase demanded something special from the GT openers—Sudharsan and Shubman Gill—with the pressure rising by the ball.
Sudharsan started with intent, launching two boundaries in the very first over of the innings bowled by Jacob Duffy. He carried the momentum into Duffy’s second spell, striking another boundary as the bowler returned. For a moment, it looked like the left-hander would set the tone and turn the chase into a chase that could be paced comfortably.
Then came the turning point—one of those moments that feels scripted only for all the wrong reasons. Duffy delivered a ball pitched short of a good length, and Sudharsan stayed rooted for the shot, shaping to cut it towards point. But as the stroke came through, the bat slipped from his hands. It sailed behind him, bounced back, and struck the stumps as Sudharsan was midway through the follow-through.
Sudharsan initially seemed not to grasp what had happened, and he had already begun running. The instant he turned and noticed the disturbed stumps, the shock set in. The left-handed batter closed his eyes in frustration and disbelief before walking back to the pavilion—one of the most bizarre and heartbreaking dismissals seen in IPL playoff knockout cricket.
That wicket also added another layer to its rarity. Sudharsan became only the second batter to be dismissed hit wicket in IPL playoffs or knockouts, following Kusal Mendis, who had suffered a comparable dismissal for Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians in New Chandigarh last year.
RCB tightened the screws immediately after the blow. In the next over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck again by removing Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill cheaply, leaving the visitors in a far worse position than the size of the target alone suggested. Suddenly, what had looked like a tense but manageable chase turned into an uphill battle.
The match’s foundation, however, had been laid earlier by RCB’s batting in the first innings. RCB captain Rajat Patidar played the knock of the day, finishing unbeaten on 93 off just 33 balls and driving his side to a record-breaking total of 254 for 5. Patidar saved his sharpest form for the knockout stage, punishing the Gujarat Titans bowlers with five fours and nine huge sixes that effectively flattened the contest.
His assault was particularly punishing against Kulwant Khejroliya, whom Patidar struck for 28 runs in a single over—an over that shifted momentum decisively in RCB’s favour. With the skipper leading from the front, Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya also added meaningful runs, contributing 43 each as RCB built pressure at every stage of the innings.
With RCB’s big total and the sudden collapse triggered by Sudharsan’s freak dismissal, Qualifier 1 delivered everything that makes IPL knockouts dramatic—momentum swings, rare wickets, and a chase that suddenly looked impossible.
