Gujarat Titans (GT) fell short of the moment in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with the Shubman Gill-led side unable to match the Bengaluru unit when it mattered most. GT had navigated a demanding week—three games in just six days, including two knockout matches—yet the final in Ahmedabad proved far less forgiving. As the contest began, Sunil Gavaskar raised concerns that the match should have been delayed, pointing to weather disruptions that affected Gujarat’s travel and recovery.
Quick facts
- GT faced RCB in the IPL 2026 final.
- The final was played in Ahmedabad.
- GT played three matches in six days, including two knockout fixtures.
- Sunil Gavaskar said the game should have been postponed due to weather-related travel disruption.
- GT’s preparations were under 24 hours after arriving in Ahmedabad late on Saturday evening.
- Vikram Solanki did not use the tight schedule as an excuse for the defeat.
- Solanki said RCB deserved to win based on the quality of cricket they produced.
GT arrived in Ahmedabad late on Saturday evening, leaving the team with less than a day to get ready for Sunday’s final. The tight turnaround turned the build-up into a sprint rather than a proper ramp-up, especially after a run that already included two high-pressure knockout games. In the final, however, several of GT’s key performers failed to deliver the impact they had shown earlier in the campaign.
When GT Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki was asked about whether the schedule intensity and travel demands contributed to fatigue, he dismissed the idea of using conditions as a convenient explanation. His stance was blunt: weather and flight timing were beyond anyone’s control, and the team would not hide behind factors it could not regulate.
“Unfortunately, sir, I can’t control the weather. If the weather means we have to land late, then there’s nothing we can do about it,” Solanki said during the post-match press conference. The comment set the tone for how GT wanted to frame the loss—accept the circumstances, but don’t turn them into excuses.
Solanki on workload and RCB’s edge
Solanki was then pressed on the physical toll of playing three games across six days, and he acknowledged that the workload was undoubtedly difficult. Even so, he insisted the conversation could not drift into blaming fitness or scheduling, arguing that RCB were simply the superior side on the day.
“It’s the number of games in a short number of days is challenging, of course it is, at the end of a campaign. But I’m not going to lean on that at all,” Solanki said. He added that GT did manage to challenge RCB in parts of the match, but Bengaluru’s overall quality carried them through.
He also made it clear that granular talking points—like the number of deliveries bowled, what the lengths looked like, or whether the top-order faced the right situations—would not change the outcome. With the final already decided, he said those details were irrelevant, emphasizing that the result deserved to be accepted as it stood.
“We had an opportunity to challenge RCB, in parts we did, but they were the better side today. And I think that’s as simple as it is,” Solanki remarked. He continued by stating that whether the team traveled late or how many overs were involved was not the real question anymore.
Solanki concluded by stressing that GT had to respond with strength rather than frustration. “The fact is that RCB have beaten us today and we must be strong enough and hold our heads up high in being proud of the campaign that we’ve put together. Yet, also be gracious enough to congratulate RCB,” he said.
He wrapped up with a final message aimed at keeping perspective on the season. “So, it would almost be—I don’t want to take away from the fact that RCB have won by simply stating that we’ve had this number of games in this short days and we’re fatigued, and that’s not really what we’re about,” Solanki said, underlining GT’s refusal to reduce the defeat to scheduling alone.
