Gujarat Titans\u2019 road to the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad has been far from smooth, with Shubman Gill\u2019s side arriving late after a weather-driven disruption that has left them with less than a day to prepare. The Titans\u2014who confirmed their spot in the summit clash by beating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday\u2014were due to take a charter flight from Chandigarh on Saturday afternoon. But severe conditions across north-western India, particularly around Punjab, caused serious interruptions to airport operations, delaying several departures and ultimately pushing the Titans\u2019 arrival back to around 10:30 pm on Saturday.<\/p>\n
That late landing means Gujarat have a compressed schedule for everything from training sessions to match-day planning ahead of Sunday\u2019s title match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The timing also becomes more striking given the way the BCCI has arranged this season\u2019s playoffs, with IPL knockout games staged across three different venues\u2014marking the first time a team has had to travel so soon before a final. In contrast, RCB reached Ahmedabad on Wednesday, giving them extra time to recover, practise, and settle into routine ahead of their second consecutive final appearance.<\/p>\n
Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar has suggested the final should have been pushed back by one day to make the situation \u201ca little fair\u201d for Gujarat. He pointed out that uncertainty over travel and delays can affect players both mentally and physically. Gavaskar said that when the departure time is unclear, it creates anxiety and that \u201cyou are mentally also off\u201d in addition to the physical strain. He added that, given the circumstances were completely unexpected, organisers could have used the reserve day and shifted the match to allow Gujarat Titans more breathing room.<\/p>\n
RCB captain Rajat Patidar, while acknowledging that travelling earlier can bring certain benefits, played down any idea that it would be decisive. He noted that after Qualifier 1, his team had sufficient time to rest and recover, whereas Gujarat were coming directly from Qualifier 2. Patidar said there is \u201csome sort of advantage,\u201d but insisted it would not be significant because both sides have been playing high-quality cricket.<\/p>\n
Weather remains another major talking point in Ahmedabad, which is set to host its fourth IPL final. Current forecasts point to clear conditions for Sunday\u2019s match, though the city\u2019s recent memory of rain has not faded\u2014especially after the rain-affected 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. That game ran into the reserve day, and once the organisers extended the playing window by two hours, the contest eventually finished in the early hours.<\/p>\n
For Gujarat, Sunday\u2019s final is a chance to lift the trophy for a second time, following their first IPL title in 2022. They narrowly missed out on repeating the feat in 2023, losing to Chennai Super Kings off the final ball in one of the most dramatic finals of the tournament\u2019s history. In that match, Ravindra Jadeja\u2019s late heroics ultimately ensured CSK claimed their fifth title.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gujarat Titans\u2019 road to the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad has been far from smooth, with Shubman Gill\u2019s side arriving late after a weather-driven disruption…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL Final Update: Gavaskar on RCB vs GT Timing in Ahmedabad","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL Final update: Weather disruption in Ahmedabad shifts RCB vs GT timing as Gavaskar weighs in\u2014GT\u2019s late arrival leaves less prep time.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n