In an instance of brilliant thought, Royal Challengers Bengaluru took control of the IPL 2026 final game through intelligent play. Krunal Pandya was very smart in bowling a shot that saw off Jos Buttler, earning praise from legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for his smartness. While Royal Challengers Bengaluru strengthened their hold in the fight for the trophy against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, Sachin Tendulkar showered praise on Pandya for his good understanding of what he wanted to do and how to execute it. The wicket was vital as it shattered the last settled partnership for Gujarat. RCB restricted GT to 155/8 and moved into a strong position in the chase.

Reacting to the dismissal, Tendulkar was all-praise for Krunal on X, as he said, “What a fabulous delivery by krunalpandya! He watched the batter's feet until the very last moment before releasing the perfect ball to send him back to the dressing room.”

The wicket highlighted Krunal’s game awareness. Brought into the attack in the 13th over, he spotted Buttler advancing before release and fired a quick, wide yorker beyond the batter’s reach. Jitesh Sharma completed an easy stumping as Buttler departed for 19 off 23 balls. Gujarat slipped to 73/4, losing the batter who appeared best placed to anchor a recovery.

RCB bowlers keep Gujarat Titans to 155/8; Quest for their second title in grasps

RCB bowlers set up the final with timely breakthroughs

The bowling lineup of RCB was consistent all through the inning. First strike came from Josh Hazlewood who dismissed the Gujarat captain, Shubman Gill, for only 10 runs. Next up, Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Sai Sudharsan for 12 runs, putting pressure on the Titans in the Powerplay period.

The pressure increased even more in the middle overs. Rasikh Salam dismissed Nishant Sindhu for 20 runs followed by Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan and he finished the inning with brilliant figures of 27/3. Bhuvneshwar concluded the inning with figures of 29/2 whereas Hazlewood ended his quota with 37/2. The four overs spell of Krunal of 23/1 further stifled Gujarat’s scoring rate.

Washington Sundar plays a lone-hand for Gujarat

Despite the collapse around him, Washington Sundar kept Gujarat in the contest. He remained unbeaten on 50 from 37 deliveries and struck five boundaries during a measured innings.

There were short bursts of momentum. Arshad Khan scored 15 from six balls and added useful runs with Sundar before Hazlewood ended the partnership. Later, Jason Holder helped push the total closer to respectability. However, wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Gujarat lost Buttler, Arshad, Tewatia, Holder and Rashid in succession, preventing any significant late surge. The innings eventually closed at 155/8.

RCB need 156 to retain the title

The reigning champions entered this run chase with an idea that the target would be relatively easy in a ground where scoring heavily was expected. With the scoreboard showing 9/0 in just 1.2 overs, RCB had managed to get off to a good start and were well ahead of the required rate of scoring.

Now, the job becomes pretty simple. RCB need to avoid any early loss of wickets and ensure partnerships without being greedy for boundaries. Gujarat has match-winners like Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna in their ranks. However, given that 156 runs are needed to win the game, RCB remain favourites to complete the chase and secure another IPL crown.