introduction to Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Timeline
This Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans timeline starts with the biggest game these two sides have ever played. RCB beat GT by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final on May 31, 2026, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing 156, RCB reached 161/5 in 18 overs, with Virat Kohli unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls.
The win made RCB back-to-back champions. Only Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians had retained the IPL title before them. Below you will find the over-by-over story of the final, the key scorecard numbers, and the full RCB vs GT rivalry from 2022 to 2026.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Match Summary (Quick Facts)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Final, IPL 2026 |
| Tournament | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | Sunday, May 31, 2026 |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Toss | RCB won, chose to bowl first |
| Result | RCB 161/5 (18 ov) beat GT 155/8 (20 ov) by 5 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Virat Kohli (75* off 42 balls) |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Match Timeline
This was the fourth RCB vs GT game of the season. RCB had already thrashed GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 five days earlier. GT came back through Qualifier 2 and had home support in Ahmedabad, but RCB’s plan with the short ball undid them early.
Gujarat Titans Innings Timeline (155/8)
Powerplay (Overs 1–6)
- Over 3: Josh Hazlewood strikes first. Captain Shubman Gill falls with GT on 22/1.
- Over 4: Bhuvneshwar Kumar removes Sai Sudharsan. GT slip to 26/2.
- RCB’s seamers keep banging the ball in short. Six of GT’s eight dismissals in the innings came off short-length balls.
Middle Overs (Overs 7–15)
- End of Over 8: Nishant Sindhu tries to hit his way out of trouble, loses his footing and is caught in the deep. GT are 55/3.
- Over 13: Jos Buttler is out at 73/4, a big blow for the hosts.
- Over 15: Arshad Khan smashes 15 off just six balls before Hazlewood gets him. GT 99/5.
- Washington Sundar holds one end while wickets fall around him.
Death Overs (Overs 16–20)
- Over 17: Rasikh Salam removes Rahul Tewatia for 7. GT 115/6.
- Over 19: Jason Holder pulls Bhuvneshwar, and Hazlewood takes the catch. It is Bhuvneshwar’s 28th wicket of the season. GT 142/7.
- Over 20: Rashid Khan hits Rasikh for six, then falls to a bumper the very next ball, caught by Romario Shepherd. GT 151/8.
- Over 20, ball 5: Sundar reaches a lone-hand fifty. He finishes unbeaten on 50 off 37.
- GT close on 155/8. Rasikh ends with 3/27.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Innings Timeline (161/5)
Powerplay (Overs 1–6)
- Overs 1–4: Kohli and Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer go hard from ball one. RCB reach 50 in just 3.3 overs, the fastest team fifty in an IPL final.
- Over 5: The openers add 62 inside five overs before Mohammed Siraj gets Iyer, caught by Kagiso Rabada for 32 off 16.
- Soon after, Rabada removes Devdutt Padikkal for 1. That wicket also sealed the Purple Cap for Rabada.
Middle Overs (Overs 7–15)
- Kohli reaches his fifty in 25 balls, the fastest of his IPL career.
- Rashid Khan gives GT hope with two wickets in four balls: captain Rajat Patidar (15) is caught by Rabada, and Krunal Pandya (1) is trapped lbw.
- Tim David makes a quick 24 off 17 before Arshad Khan has him caught by Buttler after a successful GT review.
- Over 16, last ball: Kohli survives a scare. Gill appears to catch him at mid-off, but replays show the ball hit the ground first.
Death Overs (Overs 17–18)
- Jitesh Sharma (11* off 14) gives calm support at the other end.
- Over 18, ball 5: Kohli hits Arshad for four.
- Over 18, ball 6: Kohli finishes the final with a six off Arshad. RCB win with 12 balls to spare.
Turning Point of the Match
The final was decided in the first 25 overs of the night. GT lost Gill and Sudharsan inside four overs to the short-ball plan, and they never built a big stand after that. Then the 62-run opening burst from Kohli and Iyer took the pressure off the chase. Rashid’s double strike briefly made it 11-a-side again, but Kohli never let the asking rate climb.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Scorecard Highlights
Top Batters
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | RCB | 75* | 42 | 9 | 3 |
| Washington Sundar | GT | 50* | 37 | – | – |
| Venkatesh Iyer | RCB | 32 | 16 | 4 | 2 |
| Tim David | RCB | 24 | 17 | 3 | 1 |
| Arshad Khan | GT | 15 | 6 | – | – |
Top Bowlers
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasikh Salam | RCB | 4 | 27 | 3 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB | 4 | 29 | 2 |
| Josh Hazlewood | RCB | 4 | 37 | 2 |
| Krunal Pandya | RCB | 4 | 23 | 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj | GT | 4 | 36 | 1 |
| Kagiso Rabada | GT | 3 | 44 | 1 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-head record as of October 2026 (IPL only):
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Total matches | 10 |
| RCB wins | 6 |
| GT wins | 4 |
| No result / Tie | 0 |
| IPL 2026 meetings | 4 (RCB 3, GT 1) |
The rivalry was level at 3-3 before IPL 2026. RCB won three of the four games this season, including both playoff matches, to move clearly ahead.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Rivalry Timeline: Year by Year
- April 30, 2022 – IPL 2022 (Mumbai) – GT won by 6 wickets: The first meeting. Rahul Tewatia and David Miller finished the chase for the new franchise.
- May 19, 2022 – IPL 2022 (Mumbai) – RCB won by 8 wickets: RCB levelled the series with a comfortable chase led by Kohli.
- May 21, 2023 – IPL 2023 (Bengaluru) – GT won by 6 wickets: Kohli scored 101*, but Gill’s unbeaten 104 knocked RCB out of the playoff race.
- April 28, 2024 – IPL 2024 (Ahmedabad) – RCB won by 9 wickets: Will Jacks hit 100* off 41 and Kohli 70* as RCB chased 201 in just 16 overs.
- May 4, 2024 – IPL 2024 (Bengaluru) – RCB won by 4 wickets: RCB chased 148 quickly to complete their first season sweep over GT.
- April 2, 2025 – IPL 2025 (Bengaluru) – GT won by 8 wickets: Former RCB pacer Siraj took 3/19 and Buttler made 73* off 39.
- April 24, 2026 – IPL 2026 Match 34 (Bengaluru) – RCB won by 5 wickets: Sai Sudharsan hit 100 off 58, but Kohli (81) and Padikkal (55) chased 206 with seven balls left.
- April 30, 2026 – IPL 2026 Match 42 (Ahmedabad) – GT won by 4 wickets: Jason Holder was Player of the Match as GT bowled RCB out for 155 and chased it in 15.5 overs.
- May 26, 2026 – IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 (Dharamshala) – RCB won by 92 runs: Patidar’s 93* off 33 lifted RCB to 254/5, the highest total in IPL playoff history.
- May 31, 2026 – IPL 2026 Final (Ahmedabad) – RCB won by 5 wickets: Kohli’s 75* sealed RCB’s second straight title.
Top Performers in Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Matches
Virat Kohli is the standout batter of this rivalry. He has a century (101* in 2023), the match-winning 81 and 75* in 2026, and the unbeaten 70 during the 2024 run-chase. Verified all-time wicket totals for this fixture are not consistently published, so we have focused on recent numbers instead.
- Virat Kohli (RCB): Player of the Match in both RCB league and final wins over GT in 2026.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB): 8 wickets in the four 2026 meetings, including 3/28 in Ahmedabad.
- Sai Sudharsan (GT): Scored 84* in 2024 and a 58-ball 100 in April 2026, both against RCB.
- Rashid Khan (GT): Took 6 wickets across the four 2026 meetings, including 2/19 in GT’s only win of the season.
- Jos Buttler (GT): His 73* in 2025 won GT the game at the Chinnaswamy.
Memorable Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Matches
Two hundreds, one heartbreak (2023). RCB needed a win to reach the playoffs. Kohli scored an unbeaten 101 at the Chinnaswamy, but Gill answered with 104* to win it for GT by six wickets. It remains one of the rare IPL games with a century on each side.
Jacks’ 10-ball sprint (2024). Chasing 201 in Ahmedabad, Will Jacks went from fifty to hundred in just 10 balls. He and Kohli added an unbroken 166 to win with four overs to spare. RCB became the first team to win a 200-plus chase by nine wickets or more.
Patidar’s playoff record (2026). In Qualifier 1 at Dharamshala, GT chose to bowl. Patidar reached fifty in 21 balls and finished on 93* with nine sixes. RCB then bowled GT out for 162, with Jacob Duffy taking 3/39 and Rasikh bowling a double-wicket maiden.
What’s Next for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans
The 2026 season is over, so the next step for both teams is the IPL 2027 mini-auction. Reports say the BCCI has told franchises it will be held on December 16, 2026, at the ITC Grand Goa, but this has not been formally confirmed yet. Retention lists are expected by mid-November.
RCB will try to keep their title-winning core together and chase a third straight crown. GT, beaten finalists for the second time after 2023, will look to strengthen their batting depth around Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler. The IPL 2027 schedule has not been released, so the next RCB vs GT date is not yet known.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the last Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans match?
RCB won the last meeting, the IPL 2026 final on May 31, 2026. They beat GT by five wickets in Ahmedabad, chasing 156 in 18 overs.
What is the RCB vs GT head-to-head record?
As of October 2026, the two teams have played 10 IPL matches. RCB have won 6 and GT have won 4, with no ties or no results.
Who was Player of the Match in the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final?
Virat Kohli won the award for his unbeaten 75 off 42 balls. He also hit the winning six off Arshad Khan.
Where was the latest RCB vs GT match played?
The final was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, GT’s home ground. RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first.
Who has scored the most runs in RCB vs GT matches?
Virat Kohli has been the most prolific batter in this fixture, with a century and several big fifties. For GT, Sai Sudharsan has the standout knock, a 100 off 58 in April 2026.
When is the next RCB vs GT match?
The next meeting will be in IPL 2027. The schedule has not been announced yet, and the player auction is expected in December 2026.
