Royal Challengers Bengaluru head into Sunday’s IPL final in Ahmedabad with the chance to lift the trophy for a second straight season, but they first have to find a way to overpower Gujarat Titans, a team that has played with a far more measured temperament throughout their campaign. On paper, the defending champions look like the stronger option, given the fearless, high-risk style they have largely sustained across the tournament. That approach has occasionally created moments of discomfort, yet it has also repeatedly forced opponents onto the back foot as Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Tim David, captain Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt when available, and Venkatesh Iyer have continued to press the accelerator in their batting.
What makes RCB’s intent stand out is that neither pitch variables nor the differing bowling plans they have faced have been able to fully slow down their momentum. Their batters have often kept attacking in a single-minded rhythm, and no other side in this edition has found it as easy to breach the 200-run mark as frequently as Bengaluru have done. Alongside the batting firepower, Patidar’s steady management of the captaincy role has contributed to a sense of balance within the group over the last two seasons. He may not carry the same larger-than-life aura as some of the club’s previous leaders such as Kohli or Faf du Plessis, but there is a calm assurance in the way the 32-year-old handles match situations, helping both established stars and newer faces settle into their roles.
Defensively, RCB’s bowling has also been tight, especially during the power play, where they have frequently managed to blunt opponents before the game can fully open up. Still, that unit will need to be at its absolute peak because Gujarat’s top order arrives with form on their side. In a tournament where batters have extracted maximum value from power play overs—often landing in the 11 or 12 runs per over bracket—GT’s openers, skipper Shubhman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, have preferred a more controlled runway, maintaining a run-rate just above 9.
That straight-line power play build-up may look conventional, but there is a reason it has worked: Gujarat’s middle order has been softer than their top, meaning the burden typically falls on the first three. Gill, Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler are expected to do the heavy lifting again in the match that matters most. Their numbers this season underline how consistently they have delivered—Gill has scored 722 runs at a strike rate of 163, Sudharsan has 710 at 159, and Buttler has 507 at 157—and they will need that same reliability under the final’s heightened pressure.
Even with that advantage, it will not be simple. RCB’s bowling attack is built around variety and experience, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who currently sits second in the Purple Cap standings with 26 wickets. He has been supported by Josh Hazlewood with 13 wickets, Rasikh Salam with 16, and Krunal Pandya with 13, giving Bengaluru a mix of pace, movement, and tactical options. Krunal, senior, has also shown he can be useful with the bat when required, adding another layer to RCB’s overall threat.
Still, Gujarat hold a slight edge in that particular contest of resources. RCB’s batting order, after all, offers a more obvious advantage thanks to its depth and the presence of multiple hitters capable of turning the game with quick bursts. Yet GT’s bowling group has enough craft to rein in those RCB batters—especially if the Ahmedabad surface gives assistance to bowlers looking for grip and control.
Kagiso Rabada, who leads the Purple Cap race with 28 wickets, has been a key figure, and he has had strong support from Mohammad Siraj, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, and Prasidh Krishna. Rabada and Siraj have combined effectively this season, producing 165 and 162 dot balls respectively—figures that speak to how uncomfortable their lengths have made batters, even when conditions might have looked relatively straightforward. The duo has leaned on hard, accurate bowling to reduce the space that big-hitters need to swing freely, taking away the room for shots that normally come easily to those known for clearing the boundary.
Siraj’s fitness in focus
Within that wider bowling picture, Siraj’s fitness is the detail that will be watched closely. During Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur on Friday, the pacer required medical attention for a shoulder issue. Although he completed his full quota of four overs, he appeared visibly uncomfortable at times, and Gujarat will be hoping that any concern is limited to a minor setback rather than something more serious. Even so, the situation does not fully rewrite the match-day equation for RCB and GT; the bigger question remains whether Gujarat’s top order can keep the pressure on and whether their bowling can hold Bengaluru’s batting depth in check.
For RCB, the script remains heavy in their favour, with them widely viewed as the favourites and, in many ways, as the kind of final they cannot afford to let slip away. The Red and Gold camp will be keen to join Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians as the sides that have managed back-to-back IPL titles, and the path to that moment feels firmly within reach. Gujarat, regardless of how composed they appear, will still look for the familiar “tripwire” moments that can derail a dominant team—quick wickets, a sharp swing in momentum, or a sudden collapse at the wrong time. If those elements fall into place, the final has all the ingredients to become a riveting contest.
