Sai Sudharsan’s IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 run for Gujarat Titans ended in a cruel twist as Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s pacer Jacob Duffy struck in the third over with a hit wicket dismissal. The moment stood out not only for how quickly it ended Sudharsan’s momentum, but also because it marked only the second time a batter was dismissed hit wicket in IPL knockout cricket. The first such dismissal in knockout matches had come in IPL 2025, when Kusal Mendis was hit wicket while playing for Gujarat against Mumbai Indians. In this qualifier at Dharamsala on Tuesday, Sudharsan was in rhythm, even racing after a ball that looked destined for the boundary before an awkward bat slip led to the stumps being disturbed.
How Sudharsan’s dismissal unfolded
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Jacob Duffy delivered in the third over and Sai Sudharsan went on the cut.
- The ball travelled over the ropes on the shot, suggesting a clean boundary.
- As Sudharsan followed through, his bat slipped from his hands and landed behind him.
- The fallen bat struck the stumps, resulting in a hit wicket dismissal.
- Sudharsan had already begun to run, but had to turn back to see the stumps go down.
- His knock ended at 14, cutting short what had been a streak of five consecutive scores of 50-plus.
While Sudharsan’s wicket was one of the talking points, the bigger story of Qualifier 1 was Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s record-breaking batting display. Powered by a rapid, high-impact innings from Rajat Patidar and timely support from Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal and Krunal Pandya, RCB posted a commanding 254/5 against Gujarat Titans. The match, played in Dharamsala on Tuesday, also became historic for RCB as they recorded the highest total ever in an IPL playoff or other knockout game, surpassing Gujarat Titans’ previous benchmark of 233/3 against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 at Ahmedabad in 2023.
RCB’s chase of a big total: innings breakdown
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their innings with Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli opening the batting.
- Venkatesh Iyer attacked from the start, taking on Mohammed Siraj and smashing 14 runs in the opening over.
- Kagiso Rabada struck in the very next over, dismissing Venkatesh Iyer for 19 and bringing Devdutt Padikkal to the crease.
- Padikkal answered immediately, hitting Rabada for three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over.
- With Kohli and Padikkal controlling the tempo, RCB reached 76/1 by the end of the Powerplay.
- Jason Holder delivered a major double breakthrough in the ninth over, removing both Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal and jolting RCB.
- Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya steadied the innings with a crucial partnership after the middle-over setbacks.
- In the 15th over, the duo accelerated sharply, smashing Kulwant Khejroliya for 28 runs to push RCB beyond 150.
- They maintained the assault in the next over by taking on Rashid Khan and scoring 21 runs.
- In the 17th over, Rabada struck again, dismissing Krunal Pandya and bringing Tim David to the wicket.
- Patidar kept the aggression going, hitting Rabada for 15 runs and racing to a half-century off just 21 balls.
- Prasidh Krishna then broke the flow in the 18th over by dismissing Tim David for 4, with Jitesh Sharma coming in.
- Sharma and Patidar combined to hammer Siraj for 21 runs in the 19th over, taking RCB to 235.
- In the final over, Sharma and Patidar continued their onslaught, smashing Krishna for 19 runs to finish on a massive 254/5.
With RCB’s total setting the bar high in Qualifier 1, Sudharsan’s hit wicket dismissal in the third over added a dramatic early chapter to Gujarat Titans’ pursuit, underscoring how quickly fortunes can swing in IPL knockout cricket.
