Gujarat Titans arrived in Ahmedabad late at night on the eve of their Indian Premier League 2026 final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, May 31. GT had dealt with a lot of travel in the playoffs and are back to Ahmedabad for their second crown after beating the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.
GT’s flight was delayed due to stormy weather due to torrential downpour in north-western India. The authorities could not issue a take-off clearance to the Titans in Chandigarh, who arrived after 10 pm in the city and had less than 24 hours to prepare for the all-important title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
GT hit by unprecedented travel
The 2022 champions have been hit by unprecedented travel in the IPL playoffs. They were in Ahmedabad for their last league-stage game against the Chennai Super Kings before heading to Dharamsala for Qualifier 1 against RCB, whom they lost to. GT then had to pack their bags and travel to Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, for their Qualifier 2 against the RR, as they defeated the 2008 champions by seven wickets after chasing down 215.
GT then had to move their feet again as the final is scheduled to take place at their home in Ahmedabad, with only a day’s gap between Qualifier 2 and the summit clash. The already squeezed time was reduced even further as they were hit with flight delays due to the weather.
GT share arrival visuals on social media
The Titans kept their fans updated on their activities on the eve of the final. They posted videos of their arrival in Ahmedabad and were greeted by several fans at the airport. One such video was shared at 1:19 AM.
RCB have an advantage over GT’s frequent travel. The defending champions had reached Ahmedabad on Wednesday and even had two proper practice sessions. This marks the first time that a team has had to travel a day before the final. This came after the BCCI announced three venues to host the playoffs: Dharamsala, New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. Earlier, it used to be two.
“Yes, because after Qualifier 1, we got enough time to rest and recover. At the same time, GT are coming straight from Qualifier 2,” Patidar said on being asked about his team’s early arrival. “There is some sort of advantage, but not a huge one because both teams are very good and have played excellent cricket.”
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