Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Qualifier 2, Indian Premier League 2026 - CommentaryGT vs RR, Qualifier 2, Indian Premier League 2026 - Commentary

And then there were two. The IPL 2026 final is set: Royal Challengers Bengaluru versus Gujarat Titans. The two best teams of the league stage have made it all the way through and will now battle for the trophy. GT might hold a slight advantage with the final being played at their home venue in Ahmedabad, where they have been a formidable side over the last few seasons. But RCB will take confidence from the fact that they secured a top-two finish, won Qualifier 1 and have had extra time to recover, regroup and prepare for the biggest game of the season. It's a fascinating match-up. Gujarat's success has been built around the consistency of their top order and a well-rounded bowling attack, while RCB have relied on contributions throughout the line-up and found ways to win under pressure. There is very little to separate the two sides. The top two teams. One final hurdle. One trophy on the line. Join us on Sunday for what promises to be a blockbuster IPL 2026 final. That's all for now. Until next time, goodbye and stay safe..

Shubman Gill | Player of the Match: (About the toss) There was some confusion there, but happy to get a win. (Partnership with Sai Sudharsan) I think we complement each other very well. We understand each other's game very well. And when we are batting out there, our communication is very good. We know one of us has to take down one of the bowlers. And I think we are very good in deciding who's going to take down what bowler. (On Sudharsan's hit-wicket) I don't think I've ever seen anything. No one's seen anything like that, two matches, back to back in a row. The way he got out. I saw some video on social media that taping his hand, I think I'm going to have to do that in the next match. (You seemed calm and composed today) I think it's all about, I was in kind of a zone where I was only looking at the gaps and looking at the bowlers and looking at where I want to hit the ball. I wasn't looking to hit the ball too hard. It was just about see the ball land, see my zones and try to adjust there. (He played as if there were no fielders) That's what happens when you're batting well. You just see the gaps and you middle everything. I'm very fortunate, you know, we got a... we got a target of 220. At one point it looked like we were gonna restrict them around 180-190, but we got a total and once we got off to a start, we spoke about, I actually wanted to finish the game, quite sad how I got out. (On having plenty of bowling options) We're very fortunate, some really great bowlers, and Sai didn't even get to bowl one, which happens because I think we have about 6-7 bowling options. And we also bat quite deep. So I think now it's all about clicking in the final. So hopefully we're gonna have another great team. (Feeling about a home final) The feeling is definitely good. It's one day turnaround, so quick turnaround. So hopefully we all learn and recover tomorrow and then day after go there, see how the wicket is, and then just play another match of cricket. Yes, but I think if you don't play the occasion, it kind of brings the best out of us. And that's what we spoke about even in this game as well, let's take the equation out of the game and let's just try to play a good game of cricket. And as long as we do that, even if we don't end up on the winning side, that's fine.

Highest targets chased down in IPL playoffs
215 - GT vs RR, Mullanpur, 2026 Q2
204 - PBKS vs MI, Ahmedabad, 2025 Q2
200 - KKR vs PBKS, Bengaluru, 2014 Final
191 - KKR vs CSK, Chennai, 2012 Final
189 - GT vs RR, Kolkata, 2022 Q1

200-plus chases for GT in the IPL
215 vs RR, Mullanpur, 2026 Q2
204 vs DC, Ahmedabad, 2025
200 vs DC, Delhi, 2025

Highest partnership aggregates in an IPL edition (any wicket)
939 - Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers (RCB, 2016)
939 - Virat Kohli & Faf du Plessis (RCB, 2023)
912 - Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (GT, 2025)
886 - Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (GT, 2026)
849 - Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK, 2023)

- Gill is the first captain to hit a hundred in IPL playoffs.

- This is the first time that three different batters have aggregated 700-plus runs in an IPL edition. It’s also the first time that two batters from the same team have gone past that mark (Gill & Sudharsan).

Sai Sudharsan: (Are you going to carry glue or something before going to Ahmedabad?) I think I should try some things. I'm going to try some grip tech now and just bat a few balls and see how it is. (How does it happen twice in two games?) Seriously. Last game it just bounced a few times and hit the stumps. But this game, I just wanted it to hit straight, I think. (Batting with Gill) I think the ideas were very clear. The plan was very clear. We were just going after every ball and we were looking to have a very good first over for sure. And so we set the trend very well and it happened very well in the powerplay. (Did you think it was par, chaseable?) Honestly, we didn't give energy to that. We were just looking to just play, just have a very good powerplay to start with. Then we were thinking of how to unfold the game. But we were not thinking whether it's par or over par. I think we were very clear on our plans. We were very clear on ball by ball so that it helped us to reach there. (On his partnership with Gill) Definitely, I think for sure we understand the conditions very well. We understand what to do in this kind of game. And to be honest, he just played unbelievably well today. So that's the answer for that. (How has your batting evolved in the last few years?) I think it's definitely evolved over the years. I had great experience in the first few years with the GT team which gave me some exposure or some experience on what I want to improve. This year there are so many points where I can improve so that I'll work on that and come back. (And your thoughts now into the final?) Definitely, I think the whole team, the whole dugout is really happy for that. But I think we'll just ground ourselves again and look to do what we are doing the best and just keep all the things simple so that it's just another game, not a big occasion.

Riyan Parag | RR Captain - It was a par score. I think 215 was defendable but I felt the wicket got a little better in the second innings after the heavy roller. In the first innings, I felt the spinners had a little bit more grip and the shorter, slower balls were sticking up a bit more. So I feel it was a passable score, but it could have been better. At one stage it looked as if 230 was on the cards, which in these big games can make a difference - those extra 15-20 runs. I think 230-240 would have made that chase really challenging. But with 215, given their batting lineup, we knew we had to get the openers early, which we didn't. And it was always going to be a tough road after that. (Thoughts on the season) It's been a good one with many positives. A whole lot of positives, actually. But if I had to sum it up in a sentence or a few lines, I feel we were not supposed to qualify. I feel we had lot of young faces, less experienced, less cricket played in the IPL and a lot of new transitions and combinations we tried and tested. But I feel the character that the boys have shown and where we've reached today, being thrown in the IPL, I feel it's a great start for a long journey ahead. (On the improvements and on Sooryavanshi) I can't really put it in words. There's one way where you just go and slog and then you get a lot of runs. But the way he's batted, it's not just slogging. It's not blind slogging. You can't do what you just did today if you were just going from ball one. He calculates, he assesses conditions. He does literally everything well. I still can't figure out how. But hopefully he keeps doing that. Hopefully he represents our country and brings more laurels to the country. And hopefully he keeps on playing for Rajasthan Royals and gets us to that second championship.

23:26 Local Time, 17:56 GMT: There was confusion at the toss - they actually had to do it again because the match referee hadn't heard Riyan Parag's call, and Shubman Gill certainly wasn't thrilled about losing it. But in the end, he'll gladly take the result. Gujarat Titans have chased down 214 with remarkable authority to book their place in the final. And once again, it was the opening partnership that laid the foundation. How many times have Gill and Sai Sudharsan done this over the last couple of seasons? Faced with the challenge of Jofra Archer in a knockout game, they chose to counterattack rather than sit back. Once they got through that early phase, there was no looking back. The powerplay yielded 69 runs and immediately put Gujarat ahead of the game. Gill then shifted through the gears in the middle overs and played some breathtaking strokes to completely take the contest away from Rajasthan. He brought up a magnificent hundred and all but sealed the chase. Sudharsan's unusual run of dismissals continued as he was out hit-wicket for the second successive game, while Gill too departed shortly after reaching his century. But by then the damage had been done. Buttler, Washington and Tewatia calmly completed the formalities and took GT home with 8 balls to spare. Earlier, Rajasthan Royals would have felt they had posted a winning score, thanks largely to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stunning 96. But Gill's masterclass and the 167-run opening stand proved decisive. Presentations coming up..