A major flashpoint marred the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, after a dramatic review overturned the on-field call on the last ball of the tenth over of Gujarat’s innings. Washington Sundar played Jacob Duffy’s delivery towards the fine-leg region, and substitute fielder Jordan Cox sprinted in from distance before taking a catch with a full-stretch dive. As Sundar walked back towards the dugout, the ground umpires sent the decision upstairs. The TV umpire reviewed the footage and determined that Cox had grounded the ball as he completed the catch, leading to a “not out” outcome being displayed.
Minutes later, once the result was flashed on the stadium screens, RCB captain Rajat Patidar immediately confronted the on-field official, but his protest did not change anything. On the field, Virat Kohli appeared visibly shaken by the verdict, while Anushka Sharma—watching from the stands—also struggled to process the call as the decision went against RCB.
The ruling triggered widespread debate online, with supporters drawing parallels between Cox’s moment and a catch taken by Gujarat’s Jason Holder during a league match. In that earlier incident, Holder’s catch had been treated differently by the match officials, and fans highlighted the contrast as evidence of inconsistency in similar situations.
Social media posts also questioned the overall standard of umpiring, with one message suggesting that when Gujarat takes a controversial catch, the benefit of doubt seems to tilt in their favour, while another pointed out that when RCB secures a comparatively cleaner catch, the decision still appears to favour the opposition. Another viral reaction labelled the officiating as comical, further fuelling the discussion in the immediate aftermath of the final.
Further comparisons were shared by viewers who claimed that Holder had taken a catch that clearly touched the ground, yet the third umpire still ruled it out, while Cox was judged not out despite a catch they described as similar in nature. There was also a broader chorus of frustration, including comments that the game had effectively been influenced by “multitasking” from the officials as they moved between outcomes.
Amid the controversy, it was also a contest between two franchises chasing their second IPL crown. Gujarat Titans had lifted the trophy in 2022 during their debut campaign, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru had endured an 18-year wait before finally winning their first title last year. With the final now behind them, both sides had been driven by the same objective: adding another league trophy to their respective histories.
Earlier in the evening, Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final. RCB named an unchanged playing XI, while Gujarat made one swap: left-arm pacer Arshad Khan replaced left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore.
Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Virat Kohli
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (c)
- Krunal Pandya
- Tim David
- Jitesh Sharma (wk)
- Romario Shepherd
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Josh Hazlewood
- Jacob Duffy
- Rasikh Salam
Gujarat Titans
- Shubman Gill (c)
- B Sai Sudharsan
- Jos Buttler (wk)
- Jason Holder
- Washington Sundar
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Nishant Sindhu
- Kagiso Rabada
- Arshad Khan
- Mohammed Siraj
