Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler has opened up about a tense safety moment that unfolded for the franchise in the aftermath of their IPL 2026 final loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31. What was meant to be a routine return to the team hotel turned into an evacuation when smoke appeared inside the team bus, raising immediate concerns for players and support staff.
Key takeaways
- Jos Buttler described a bus scare that occurred after Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 final defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
- A short circuit was reported to have triggered smoke inside the team bus, prompting an evacuation and a roadside wait until another vehicle was arranged.
- Buttler said the incident captured the emotional tone of the night, coming in the early hours and adding to the disappointment of losing the title race.
- Gujarat Titans ended the season as runners-up on the points table and reached the final after strong showings in the playoffs.
- Captain Shubman Gill later admitted Gujarat Titans couldn’t post a sufficiently challenging total in the championship match.
Smoke, evacuation and a night that went from bad to worse
The scare took place on Sunday night as the Gujarat Titans group was travelling back to the team hotel following their five-wicket loss in Ahmedabad. As per Buttler’s account, smoke began to spread inside the bus, leading to the players and staff stepping off the vehicle and waiting by the roadside while arrangements were made for an alternate bus.
In Buttler’s telling, the disruption was not only frightening but also symbolic of how Gujarat’s evening had unfolded. He linked the moment directly to the emotions of the title defeat, describing how the early signs of smoke were detected by those seated towards the back before everyone exited the bus.
Buttler said, “Always going to be a winner and a loser, so someone has to be the loser. But unfortunately it was us and our night was sort of summed up by two in the morning on the bus home. The boys at the back had started smelling smoke and we all got off the bus and stood by the side of the road. Well, I’m sure the RCB party was in full flow. Our bus was going up in smoke along with our dreams of winning the title. So disappointing and it’ll take a while to get over it, to be honest.”
Despite the chaos, Buttler stressed that everyone—both squad members and support staff—was safe and uninjured. Still, the unexpected incident extended the sting of a disappointing result, ensuring the final defeat lingered well beyond the last ball.
How Gujarat Titans reached the final and what Gill said after the defeat
For Gujarat Titans, the bus episode came on top of a campaign that had already delivered both momentum and heartbreak. The franchise finished second in the points standings and bounced back after losing Qualifier 1 to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
After that setback, Gujarat Titans regrouped strongly. They beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Qualifier 2 to secure their third IPL final in five seasons.
However, the 2022 champions could not overturn Bengaluru in the title clash. In the championship match, the defending champions successfully chased down the target to retain the trophy, denying Gujarat Titans a second IPL title.
In the wake of the loss, captain Shubman Gill said Gujarat Titans were unable to set a score that would put enough pressure on the opposition. He pointed to their early wicket losses and the lack of momentum as reasons they couldn’t build the kind of platform needed in a high-stakes final.
Gill said, “If we’d have gotten 180-190, it’d have been a good match. Maybe a little two-paced but not too much. There’s some early movement for pacers. We lost early wickets and never got momentum. We felt we’ll be in the game if we took 1-2 wickets in the powerplay.”
With the defeat, Gujarat Titans’ run ended in a painful fashion, while the bizarre bus breakdown ensured that the disappointment of May 31 would remain vivid long after the final whistle.
