Kagiso Rabada added another milestone to his IPL legacy as Gujarat Titans struck in Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. The South African fast bowler etched his name into the record books by becoming the leading wicket-taker in the Powerplay in a single IPL campaign, doing so by removing Venkatesh Iyer at a crucial moment of the high-pressure contest.
Rabada produced a back-of-a-length ball angled around the off-stump. Iyer went for a forceful stroke, but the delivery beat the bottom part of the bat and came off the top edge. Shubman Gill, positioned at mid-off, had ground to cover and raced back sharply, completing a clean running catch to hand GT the breakthrough. That wicket didn’t just swing the momentum—it also took Rabada past Mohammed Shami, who had previously set the benchmark with 17 Powerplay wickets in the 2023 IPL season.
Rabada tops the Powerplay wicket tally
The feat placed Rabada at the summit of the Powerplay wicket charts for one IPL season. His record read 18 wickets, the highest in the opening six overs of any campaign. Shami followed with 17 from the 2023 edition, while Mitchell Johnson and Trent Boult were next on the list with 16 apiece—Johnson in 2013 and Boult in 2020.
Earlier in the evening, Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to field first against RCB in Qualifier 1. GT made a single adjustment to their starting XI, bringing in Kulwant Khejroliya and leaving Arshad Khan out. RCB responded with one change of their own, with Jacob Duffy replacing Romario Shepherd.
Qualifier 1 carries major stakes: the winner books a direct place in the IPL 2026 final, while the side that falls short gets another opportunity through Qualifier 2. RCB and GT, who finished the league phase in first and second positions respectively, both ended their league outings with 18 points, separated only by net run rate. Their meetings during the season also mirrored the closeness of the final standings—each side won one of the two head-to-head matches, and in total IPL history they remain level at 4-4.
There was also extra context behind the matchup. One of RCB’s five defeats in the season came against Gujarat earlier on, when GT’s bowling unit had troubled them. Yet the defending champions later evened the score in the reverse encounter, ensuring that this postseason clash would be shaped not by earlier results alone but by who held their nerve when it mattered most.
With both franchises chasing a second IPL title, the motivations are clear. RCB are looking to successfully defend the crown they won previously, while Gujarat are intent on reclaiming the trophy they lifted in their debut campaign in 2022.
Playing XIs for Qualifier 1
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Jacob Duffy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar. Impact substitutes: Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Kanishk Chauhan, Abhinandan, Jordan Cox.
Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant, Mohammed Siraj. Impact substitutes: Rahul Tewatia, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Sai Kishore, Kumar Kushagra.
Stay tuned for all the latest updates from the RCB vs GT showdown, including the most recent IPL news, match coverage, and the ongoing battle for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap as the tournament moves into its decisive phase.
