Gujarat Titans dismantle Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets in IPL 2026 rematch

Key facts

• Gujarat Titans bowled Royal Challengers Bengaluru out for 155 in 19.2 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
• Arshad Khan took three wickets for 22 runs in 3.2 overs, dismissing Patidar, Krunal Pandya, and Venkatesh Iyer.
• Jason Holder claimed two wickets for 29 runs and took three catches, earning Player of the Match.
• Shubman Gill scored 43 off 18 balls with four fours and three sixes, breaking the chase in the powerplay.
• GT chased the target in 15.5 overs with four wickets in hand, winning by four wickets with 25 balls to spare.
• The win lifted GT to 10 points; RCB remained on 12 points from nine games but dropped their third match of the season.

Titans avenge narrow defeat with comprehensive performance

Six days after Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 206 at Chinnaswamy with seven balls to spare, Gujarat Titans delivered a resounding response. On Thursday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium, GT bowled the defending champions out for 155 in 19.2 overs and then chased the target in 15.5 overs, winning by four wickets. The victory erased the margin from the previous encounter and split the head-to-head 1-1.

Arshad and Holder lead bowling demolition

Arshad Khan was the standout bowler, finishing with three for 22 in 3.2 overs. He removed Rajat Patidar with a catch of the night from Holder, then dismissed Krunal Pandya and Venkatesh Iyer to wrap the tail. Jason Holder took two for 29 in four overs, claiming Jitesh Sharma caught behind and Romario Shepherd holing out. Holder also contributed three crucial catches, turning half-chances into wickets. Rashid Khan added two wickets for 19 runs, bowling Devdutt Padikkal through the gate and having Tim David caught in the deep. By the 16th over, RCB's entire top six were back in the pavilion.

Gill and Buttler set up rapid chase

Bengaluru's total of 155 was never likely to be enough, and Shubman Gill made sure of it. He scored 43 off 18 balls with four fours and three sixes, the highest score of the innings, before falling to a leading edge off Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught by Kohli. Jos Buttler added 39 from 19 deliveries with two fours and four sixes before Bhuvneshwar bowled him. Romario Shepherd then took two wickets in two overs, trapping Washington Sundar lbw and having Shahrukh Khan caught by Hazlewood, briefly injecting uncertainty. Rahul Tewatia, the impact substitute, played a vital unbeaten cameo, and Holder contributed 12 from 10 before Suyash Sharma found his edge. Rashid Khan finished the match with a boundary in the 16th over.

Key individual performances and statistics

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets for 28 runs in a losing cause, his six death-over wickets this season being the second-most in the tournament. He has conceded just 7.6 runs per over in that phase. For GT, Kagiso Rabada's economy rate has dropped to 8.30 after a slow start, and he has doubled his wicket tally in the last four games. Sai Sudharsan, after managing only 135 runs in his first six innings, has rebounded with scores of 100 and 87 in his last two, striking at 152. GT's death-over run rate of 9.1 remains the lowest in IPL 2026, while RCB's scoring rate of 11.0 across phases is the second-best among all teams.

Context and playoff implications

The win is GT's second consecutive victory, following an eight-wicket win over CSK at Chepauk on Sunday, and lifts them to 10 points. RCB drop their third game of the season but remain in playoff positions with 12 points from nine matches. The two sides have now split their head-to-head 1-1, and Thursday's chase, finished in the 16th over, has erased the seven-balls-to-spare margin from a week ago. The result tightens the standings in the middle of the table, with GT breaking away from a logjam in the bottom half.

Outlook for both teams

For Gujarat Titans, the return of form from key players like Gill and the bowling unit provides momentum as they push for a playoff spot. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will need to address their batting fragility after being bowled out cheaply, despite Virat Kohli's early aggression. The defending champions have shown resilience before, but the margin of defeat raises questions about their consistency. With the tournament approaching its business end, every point becomes critical.

The bottom line

• Gujarat Titans bowled RCB out for 155 and chased the target in 15.5 overs, winning by four wickets with 25 balls to spare.
• Arshad Khan took three for 22, and Jason Holder claimed two wickets and three catches to earn Player of the Match.
• Shubman Gill's 43 off 18 balls set the tone for the chase, while Jos Buttler contributed 39 from 19.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets for RCB but had insufficient runs to defend.
• GT's win lifts them to 10 points; RCB remain on 12 points but drop their third match of the season.
• The head-to-head between the two sides is now 1-1, with GT avenging their earlier seven-ball defeat.