A brilliant hundred from Sai Sudharsan failed to lift Gujarat Titans back into the win column as Royal Challengers Bengaluru swept past the 200-plus target with ease, beating Shubman Gill’s side by five wickets in their IPL 2026 fixture at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday. Bengaluru chased 206 successfully in 18.5 overs, with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steering the pursuit. After an early jolt, the duo put together a match-defining stand that kept the required rate under control and ultimately carried the home team to second place in the standings on 10 points.
Bengaluru’s chase began with a quick blow: Jacob Bethell was dismissed early, handing Gujarat a moment of hope. From there, Kohli and Padikkal took charge, stitching together 115 runs for the second wicket to put the Titans on the back foot. Kohli struck 81, while Padikkal made 55, and their partnership ensured Bengaluru never had to chase in panic mode. The chase was wrapped up with 1.1 overs remaining, confirming their fourth victory at the venue in five matches this season.
Kohli also benefited from a crucial reprieve when Washington Sundar dropped him on zero off Mohammed Siraj. Once set, the former captain looked entirely comfortable against the Gujarat attack, dealing well with Prasidh Krishna and Kagiso Rabada. He punished Prasidh with two fours, deposited Rabada for a six, and then pulled Rashid Khan over mid-wicket for another maximum. Kohli reached his half-century off 30 balls, showing the rhythm he carried from the moment he settled in.
At the other end, Padikkal matched Kohli’s intent almost ball for ball. He hit Prasidh for two sixes and also took on Rashid for a big shot to keep the pressure on the Titans. Padikkal brought up his fifty 10 balls quicker than Kohli, underlining how quickly he was stacking runs. The stand finally came to an end when Rashid produced a delivery that bowled Padikkal, breaking the momentum Bengaluru had built.
Kohli, who had looked in total control for long stretches, was then dismissed later when Jason Holder removed him, with the ball finding the stumps. Following that, Bengaluru suffered a brief wobble as captain Rajat Patidar and Jitesh Sharma also fell, leaving the hosts at 173 for five. Still, the momentum swung back in Bengaluru’s favour as Krunal Pandya struck 23 off 12 balls and Tim David added 10, guiding them home without needing a late scramble.
Earlier in the contest, Gujarat Titans had posted 205 for three after being sent in. Sai Sudharsan’s 100 anchored the innings, with the foundation coming through an opening alliance of 128 between him and captain Shubman Gill. Gill contributed 32 off 24 balls, but it was Sudharsan who dominated the partnership and shaped the innings into a total that looked difficult to chase.
Sudharsan was particularly effective through the powerplay, scoring 46 in that phase, and he reached his fifty in 33 balls by striking Romario Shepherd for a six. He then accelerated again, reaching his next fifty in only 24 more deliveries by attacking the spin of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. His attacking approach helped Gujarat maintain momentum, even as the innings moved into the death overs.
During his spell of batting, Sudharsan also became the quickest batter to arrive at 2,000 IPL runs. He notched his century with a single off Suyash Sharma, but a late breakthrough came shortly after when he was dropped on 91 by Suyash off his own bowling. Despite that lifeline, he could not convert the start into a longer stay at the crease, and he was dismissed for exactly 100, with the wicket giving Josh Hazlewood a return catch.
After Sudharsan’s departure, Bengaluru’s bowlers did manage to pull things back, restricting Gujarat from 174 for two in the 17th over to only 31 runs in the final four overs. Holder finished strongly with an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls as Gujarat crossed the 200-mark, but Bengaluru’s chase proved too smooth, and the Titans ultimately fell short as the home side completed the target comfortably.
