Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to bowl first against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-stakes IPL 2026 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The decision set up a contest where both captains quickly pointed to conditions and momentum as key factors.
Quick facts
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Date: Thursday
- Toss result: Gujarat Titans chose to bowl first
- Defending champions: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- GT change: pacer Prasidh Krishna left out for the second straight game
- Captains’ approach: both sides discussed batting-friendly conditions and the importance of the next home run
Gujarat Titans again left out pacer Prasidh Krishna despite a productive season. The right-arm quick has taken 12 wickets in seven matches and has been among the team’s leading wicket-takers, yet he missed out in the playing XI for the second consecutive fixture.
Skipper Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that the Titans were unchanged from their previous match, where they secured an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings. However, he stopped short of offering a detailed explanation for Prasidh’s continued absence.
Gill said the plan was straightforward: start with the ball and look to extract whatever early help the surface offers. “We are going to bowl first. Looks a little dry, a little patchy. The first four or five overs can give us a bit of swing, and just in case if there’s any dew, we always like to chase it,” he explained.
Gill on the home run and RCB challenge
The Titans captain underlined how crucial this stage of the season is, particularly with consecutive games at home. “Very important two points for us. The next two games, including this one at home, are going to determine where we stand and how far we go in the tournament,” Gill said.
Gill also acknowledged the threat posed by RCB, noting their status as defending champions. “They are the defending champions and have been playing some really good cricket. Hopefully, it’s going to be one heck of a game,” he added.
On the dressing-room atmosphere, Gill suggested the team is carrying confidence from the last result. “After the last match, the mood is pretty nice — breezy and light. It’s about giving everything you have and putting in the right effort,” he said.
Patidar confident after being asked to bat
RCB captain Rajat Patidar admitted he would have preferred to field first, but he remained upbeat about the batting conditions. “Obviously, we were looking to field first, but in the IPL, these are generally good wickets to bat on. There’s a bit of grass, but I don’t think it will help too much. We’ll look to put up a good total and put them under pressure,” Patidar said.
Patidar also pointed to the way the team has been finding contributions across the season. “The way we have played so far has been great. Every player has stepped up for the team. Different players performing in different matches is always a positive sign,” he noted.
He confirmed that RCB, like their opponents, were sticking with an unchanged XI for the match.
Playing XIs
Gujarat Titans XI: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (w), Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood.
