Defending champions RCB face Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Final on May 31 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gill’s century in Qualifier 2 has GT fired up for revenge after their 92-run Qualifier 1 loss. Here is everything you need to know before the first ball.
📸 RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final — May 31, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. 132,000 fans. One trophy. No second chances.
The RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final is here. After 73 matches across 63 days, two teams — Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans — stand between each other and cricketing glory. The Final takes place on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Toss at 7:00 PM IST. First ball at 7:30 PM IST. Check the official IPL 2026 schedule for any last-minute updates.
RCB arrive as defending champions, having beaten GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 on May 26 in Dharamsala. GT arrive as a wounded side with a point to prove — having fought back through Qualifier 2 on May 29, where captain Shubman Gill smashed 104 off 53 balls to chase down 215 against Rajasthan Royals. That chase is now the highest successful chase in IPL history.
Two teams. One trophy. No second chances. This is the story of how they got here and what happens next.
📖 How did RCB reach the Final? Read the full RCB IPL 2026 journey
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | IPL 2026 Final — Match 74 |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans |
| Date | Sunday, May 31, 2026 |
| Toss | 7:00 PM IST |
| Start Time | 7:30 PM IST (2:00 PM GMT) |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Capacity | 132,000 — largest cricket stadium in the world |
| RCB qualified via | Qualifier 1 — beat GT by 92 runs (May 26, Dharamsala) |
| GT qualified via | Qualifier 2 — beat RR by 7 wickets (May 29, Mullanpur) |
| Head-to-Head 2026 | RCB lead 2-1 (including Qualifier 1) |
| Overall H2H | RCB lead 5-4 over GT across all IPL meetings |
“Finals are not won by the best team on paper. They are won by the team that refuses to blink when everything is on the line. One ground. One night. One chance. This is where legends are made and pretenders are exposed.”
RCB’s route:
RCB topped the league table with 9 wins, 18 points, and an NRR of +0.783. They then demolished GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 on May 26 at HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala. Captain Rajat Patidar scored 93 not out off 33 balls at a strike rate of 281.81. RCB posted 254/5 and bowled GT out for 162. They go into the Final with 5 days of rest.
GT’s route:
GT also finished the league stage with 9 wins and 18 points but missed the top spot due to a lower NRR of +0.695. They lost to RCB in Qualifier 1, then regrouped. In Qualifier 2 on May 29 in Mullanpur, GT chased 215 against Rajasthan Royals with 8 balls to spare — the highest successful chase in IPL history. Gill’s 104 off 53 balls was the difference. Sai Sudharsan added 58 off 32. Rahul Tewatia finished it with 17 not out off 9 balls.
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Virat Kohli has scored 557 runs this IPL 2026 season. He averages over 85 against GT in this rivalry. He is the all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with over 9,000 runs. When Kohli is set, no total is safe.
Standing in his way is Kagiso Rabada — GT’s strike bowler and one of the most dangerous pace bowlers in world cricket. Rabada was the one who dismissed Kohli in their April 30 league meeting. If Rabada can get Kohli cheaply in the powerplay, GT’s path to the title becomes significantly clearer. If Kohli survives and gets to 30, RCB’s batting depth makes them almost unstoppable.
Shubman Gill enters the Final in the form of his life. He has scored 104 off 53 balls in Qualifier 2 — his 5th IPL hundred, the fastest ever by a GT batter (47 balls). He is also the first batter to score multiple centuries in IPL playoffs. When Gill is on song, GT’s entire batting unit flows.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is RCB’s best bowler this season — 26 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of just 8.00. He dismissed Gill twice in the league stage by using the wobble-seam delivery to find the outside edge early. If Bhuvneshwar can replicate that in the powerplay at Ahmedabad, he could set the tone for the entire Final.
Rashid Khan dismissed Patidar in their April 30 league meeting — a key moment that helped GT win that game. Since then Patidar has been untouchable, scoring 93 off 33 in Qualifier 1. His battle against Rashid in the middle overs will be central to RCB’s total.
Rashid is GT’s most economical bowler and has 18 wickets this season. In matches where Rashid takes two wickets in the middle overs, GT win 80% of the time. Patidar knows this. Rashid knows this. The two captains meeting across 22 yards is the defining sub-plot of this Final.
Sai Sudharsan has been GT’s most consistent batter all season alongside Gill. He scored 58 off 32 in Qualifier 2. His technique against pace is clean and compact — he rarely gets beaten outside off stump.
Josh Hazlewood took 4/12 in a league game this season in one of the most devastating powerplay spells of IPL 2026. His ability to swing the ball at 140kph is the one thing Sudharsan has not fully conquered. If Hazlewood can nick him off early, GT lose their anchor.
Sai Sudharsan has been GT’s most consistent batter all season alongside Gill. He scored 58 off 32 in Qualifier 2. His technique against pace is clean and compact — he rarely gets beaten outside off stump.
Josh Hazlewood took 4/12 in a league game this season in one of the most devastating powerplay spells of IPL 2026. His ability to swing the ball at 140kph is the one thing Sudharsan has not fully conquered. If Hazlewood can nick him off early, GT lose their anchor.
The Narendra Modi Stadium is GT’s home ground. 132,000 fans will fill it on May 31 — and the majority will be supporting GT. GT have won 2 of their 3 previous meetings against RCB at this venue, including Gill’s century in 2023.
But there is a counter-argument. RCB won their IPL title at this same ground in 2025, defeating Punjab Kings in the Final. Kohli has scored runs here. Patidar has scored runs here. And RCB arrive having already beaten GT once this playoff cycle — by 92 runs. The crowd matters. But RCB have proven they do not fear Ahmedabad.
| Season | Venue | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2022 | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai | GT won by 6 wickets | GT |
| IPL 2022 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | RCB won by 8 wickets | RCB |
| IPL 2023 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | GT won by 6 wickets | GT |
| IPL 2024 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | RCB won by 9 wickets | RCB |
| IPL 2024 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | RCB won by 4 wickets | RCB |
| IPL 2025 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | GT won by 8 wickets | GT |
| IPL 2026 League | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | RCB won by 5 wickets | RCB |
| IPL 2026 League | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | GT won by 4 wickets | GT |
| IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala | RCB won by 92 runs | RCB ✅ |
| IPL 2026 Final | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | TBD | 🏆 May 31 |
| Overall: RCB lead 5-4 before the IPL 2026 Final. GT won all of their previous meetings at Narendra Modi Stadium vs RCB. | |||
The Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the world — 132,000 capacity. It hosted RCB’s title-winning IPL 2025 Final against Punjab Kings. It is also GT’s home ground.
The pitch here in IPL 2026 has produced an average first innings score of 193. Pacers have dominated — averaging fewer than 25 with the ball compared to spinners averaging over 35. Expect a high-scoring game. Teams chasing have won more often here this season. That gives GT — the best chasing team in these playoffs — a slight structural advantage.
The IPL 2026 Final between RCB and GT is on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Toss at 7:00 PM IST. Match starts at 7:30 PM IST.
RCB qualified directly by winning Qualifier 1 on May 26, 2026, beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Rajat Patidar scored 93 not out off 33 balls and RCB posted 254/5.
GT beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2 on May 29, 2026 in Mullanpur. Shubman Gill scored 104 off 53 balls as GT chased 215 — the highest successful chase in IPL history — with 8 balls to spare.
RCB lead the overall head-to-head 5-4 across all IPL meetings. In IPL 2026 specifically, RCB lead 2-1, having won both the April 24 league game and the Qualifier 1 on May 26. GT won the April 30 league meeting.
Shubman Gill is in the form of his life. He scored 104 off 53 balls in Qualifier 2 against RR — his 5th IPL hundred and the fastest ever by a GT batter. He is the first batter to score multiple centuries in IPL playoffs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been RCB’s standout bowler in IPL 2026 with 26 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of just 8.00 — the best figures of any RCB bowler this season.
Yes. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is GT’s home ground. GT have won 2 of their 3 previous meetings against RCB at this venue. However, RCB won their IPL 2025 title at the same ground, so they are comfortable playing there.
The RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final is the most compelling summit clash in years — defending champions against a revenge-hungry side playing at home. RCB have the batting firepower, the experience, and a 92-run Qualifier 1 demolition of these very opponents burned into their confidence. GT have Gill in career-best form, a record-breaking chase in their legs, and 132,000 home fans behind them. Both squads are stacked. Both captains are match-winners. One moment — a Kohli boundary, a Rashid wicket, a Bhuvneshwar swing delivery in the powerplay — could decide this entire season. Read our Rajat Patidar IPL 2026 piece to understand the man who will lead RCB into this Final.
