Shubman Gill’s blazing powerplay knock, Jason Holder’s all-round dominance, and Arshad Khan’s miserly death bowling combined to hand Gujarat Titans a convincing yet nervy four-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday night.
Set 156 to win, GT stumbled after losing both openers inside the powerplay but recovered through crucial cameos from Holder and Impact Player Rahul Tewatia to seal the deal with 25 balls to spare.
For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s magnificent three-wicket haul and Romario Shepherd’s two scalps kept them in the hunt until the 16th over, but 155 on this surface was ultimately never enough.
Devdutt Padikkal’s 40 and Virat Kohli’s blistering 28 off 13 balls gave RCB a reasonable platform, but Holder and Arshad systematically dismantled the middle order to limit them to a below-par total. The defeat, RCB’s third of IPL 2026, means the defending champions face growing pressure despite their place at the top of the table.
GT vs RCB: Jason Holder and Arshad Khan skittle Bengaluru for below-par 155
RCB never truly found the momentum their innings demanded, despite promising contributions at the top. Kohli came out swinging, smashing 28 off just 13 balls before Kagiso Rabada had him caught and Padikkal looked fluent during his 40 off 24, bringing up the fifty partnership with controlled aggression.
But once Rashid Khan and Jason Holder began operating in tandem, the RCB innings fell apart with alarming speed. Rashid’s miserly four-over spell of 2 for 19 suffocated the middle order, while Holder was everywhere, taking two wickets, holding three catches, and generally making himself the most influential fielder on the park.
Arshad Khan was the pick of the bowlers, returning 3 for 22 in his 3.2 overs to end RCB’s innings with four balls still remaining, leaving GT with what appeared a comfortable, if not trivial, target of 156.
GT vs RCB: Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler power GT before middle-order wobble brings drama
Gujarat Titans’ chase began at a breathtaking tempo. Gill plundered 43 off just 18 balls, drilled with the authority of a man who had read the pitch perfectly, four fours and three sixes leaving RCB’s new-ball attack looking pedestrian.
Jos Buttler matched him stroke for stroke, cracking 39 off 19 balls with a particular relish for Suyash Sharma’s leg-spin, treating anything short or full as an invitation to attack. When GT reached 57 for 2 after the powerplay, both openers gone but the rate well ahead of what was needed, it should have been plain sailing.
Instead, the familiar fragility of their middle order resurfaced. Washington Sundar and M Shahrukh Khan fell in quick succession, Bhuvneshwar Kumar claiming three wickets in a stunning new-ball spell of 3 for 28, and Shepherd adding two more to leave GT wobbling at 111 for 5. The chase, which had looked a formality, was suddenly a contest.
Also WATCH: Virat Kohli’s animated reaction after dismissing Shubman Gill grabs attention during GT vs RCB match
GT vs RCB: Rahul Tewatia’s calm hand guides GT over the line
With pressure mounting and the required rate climbing back toward respectability, GT turned to their Impact Player substitute Rahul Tewatia, and he delivered exactly what the situation demanded. His unbeaten 27 off 17 balls, featuring four boundaries struck with measured precision rather than desperation, was the innings of a man who has been in these situations a hundred times before.
It was his highest score since the start of the 2025 season, and it removed all remaining doubt about the outcome. Holder also chipped in with a breezy 12 off 10 before Suyash Sharma priced him out, but by then the asking rate was firmly under control.
Rashid Khan finished the chase with an unbeaten 7, and GT crossed the line in the 16th over to claim a result that was ultimately more comfortable than the scoreboard suggested. RCB can take heart from a spirited bowling effort, but their batting lacked the firepower to post a truly threatening total on a pitch that offered far more to those willing to take it on.
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