Royal Challengers Bengaluru took a major leap towards defending their Indian Premier League title after handing Gujarat Titans a huge drubbing in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, May 26. Rajat Patidar decimated the Titans with his jaw-dropping 93 off 33 balls, which effectively killed the match as RCB won by 92 runs at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.ย
Patidar’s insane hitting in the death overs had powered the defending champions to a massive total of 254/5, which is now by far the highest score in an IPL playoff. He was on 21 from 13 balls before he put the GT bowlers to the sword in a six-hitting fest to amass 72 more from the last 20 balls as he ended unbeaten on 93 alongside Jitesh Sharma’s unscathed five-ball 15.ย
Record books tumble as RCB decimate GT
The record books were rewritten in this clash as RCB batters set new milestones. RCB’s 254/4 is the highest team total in IPL playoffs, 21 more than GT’s 233/3 against Mumbai Indians in 2023 Qualifier 2. RCB have also become the fifth team to have made 250-plus runs in a T20 knockout game, a list that features India twice.
Patidar also set the joint-highest score by a captain in IPL playoffs, equal to what David Warner had hit for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2016 Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Lions.ย
RCB favourite to win IPL 2026
RCB look theย favourite to defend their IPL title by two parameters now. Firstly, they have looked like the most complete and in-form team, and they would be the favourites to win the final, regardless of who they will face. Secondly, history prefers RCB now.ย
All the previous eight winners of the IPL have been the teams that have won the Qualifier 1, a streak that began in 2018 when Chennai Super Kings reached the final first after defeating SRH in the 2018 Qualifier 1. RCB also achieved the same last year when they beat Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 last year and then also in the final to lift their maiden IPL title.
Also, 12 of the 15 times since the playoffs format was introduced in 2011, teams winning Qualifier 1 have won the title as well. The only exceptions were CSK, the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant and RCB themselves, who won the Qualifier 1 in 2013, 2017 and 2016, respectively, but lost the IPL final later.
CSK won Qualifier 1 against MI in 2013 but lost to the same team in the final. RPS won the Qualifier 1 against MI in 2017 and lost the final to the same side. RCB defeated the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 1 in 2016 and lost the final to SRH, who came from the Eliminator.
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