IPL 2026 final, RCB vs GT: Presenting key player battles
What's the story
The grand finale of the 2026 Indian Premier League will see Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Gujarat Titans. The match is set to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. This will be the fourth clash between these two teams this season, with RCB looking to defend their title against the 2022 champions. Some key individual battles can decide the fate of this high-voltage encounter. Let's take a look at them.
#1
Virat Kohli vs Kagiso Rabada
RCB talisman Virat Kohli has aced the anchor's role this season. His battle with GT speedster Kagiso Rabada would be enticing early on. The South African pacer has been instrumental in his team's success this season, using hard lengths and dot balls to stifle top-order batters. According to ESPNcricinfo, Rabada has dismissed Kohli five times across 17 T20 innings. The latter has a strike rate of 143.95 in this battle.
#2
Shubman Gill vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
RCB and GT have met thrice this season, and two of those games saw Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapping Shubman Gill. However, the latter would be high on confidence, having smoked a hundred in the second qualifier. Bhuvneshwar has overall got rid of Gill six times across 14 IPL innings. The latter has a paltry strike rate of 101.26 in this regard.
#3
Rajat Patidar vs Rashid Khan
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar smashed several records with his 33-ball 93* against GT in Qualifier 1. GT would not want Patidar to replicate his heroics. The talismanic Rashid Khan will have the onus to restrict him in the middle overs. Patidar has a good record against Rashid, scoring 34 runs off 16 balls without getting out. This includes four maximums.
#4
Josh Hazlewood vs Sai Sudharsan
RCB's Josh Hazlewood has also been brilliant with the new ball this season. His battle with Sai Sudharsan in the powerplay overs can set the tone of the GT innings. Though Sudharsan has tallied over 700 runs this season, he has a subdued record against Hazlewood, scoring 28 runs off 21 balls while being dismissed twice across as many meetings.