Royal Challengers Bengaluru booked their spot in the IPL 2026 final after brushing aside Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala. The result was emphatic on the scoreboard, but it was also a lighter, on-field exchange involving Virat Kohli that set social media buzzing during the contest.
Kohli’s quirky moment steals the spotlight
In the middle of the match, Kohli was spotted holding the ball and lining up his bowling approach. Moments later, he handed the ball to teammate Jacob Duffy as the over-plan moved on. Kohli then walked over to the umpire, collected his cap, and shared a laugh—prompting plenty of speculation online that the former captain might actually be called upon to bowl.
Despite the comic build-up, Kohli never ended up delivering an over. Still, the playful sequence spread quickly among fans and became one of the talking points from Qualifier 1.
RCB’s batting sets a playoff record
Bengaluru made full use of Gujarat’s errors in the field to post a massive total of 254/5. The knock didn’t just set a high bar for the chase—it also marked the highest team score ever seen in an IPL playoff match.
- RCB reached 254/5 in Qualifier 1, the top total in IPL playoff history.
- Captain Rajat Patidar anchored the innings with an unbeaten 93 from just 39 balls.
- Gujarat’s bowling and fielding were disrupted by dropped chances, misfields, and costly no-balls.
Gill on the missed chances and the chase collapse
Gujarat Titans were unable to sustain the momentum in pursuit of 255. RCB’s innings of 254/5 was followed by a poor batting day from the chase, with Shubman Gill’s side eventually dismissed for 162—handing Bengaluru a second consecutive berth in the IPL final.
Gill acknowledged that his team didn’t manage the key pressure moments as well as they needed to, even though they stayed in the hunt for a significant stretch of the chase.
- Gill felt the chase was going well until around the 12th or 13th over.
- He said the fielding level wasn’t up to the required standard.
- Gill pointed out that they dropped a couple of catches and their ground fielding also fell short.
“A game we want to forget” — final thoughts
Gill described the match as one Gujarat would rather move past quickly, with the next chapter in Mohali already on the horizon.
Chasing 255, Gujarat were bowled out for 162, and Gill said the result was the kind of outing his team would like to put behind them before their next challenge.
“This is one of those games that we would like to forget and start over in Mohali,” Gill said after the match.
