Royal Challengers Bengaluru blasted Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in the first playoff qualifier, piling up 5-254 before bowling their rivals out for 162 in the last over at Dharamsala. Rajat Patidar led the surge with 93 not out from 33 balls, while Virat Kohli set the tone with 43 in the powerplay and Krunal Pandya added 43 off 28 balls.
Gujarat’s chase never recovered after they slipped to 8-88, even though Rahul Tewatia fought with 68 off 43 balls. Josh Hazlewood, who finished with 1-39, removed Jos Buttler as the England batter tried to launch a counter-attack after racing to 29 off 10 balls. Tim David then sealed the victory with a sprawling catch running around from mid off, a finish that sent RCB into Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.
The result mattered because Gujarat had finished second to RCB in the regular season on net run rate, only to be outplayed when the pressure turned highest. For Bengaluru, it was another reminder of why the defending champions have looked so hard to stop: once Patidar and Kohli had built momentum, the innings kept accelerating until the total became out of reach on a ground in the foothills of the Himalayas.
There was still a brief window for Gujarat when Tewatia cut loose, but the chase was already slipping away by then. Hazlewood’s wicket of Buttler came while the batter was trying to force the pace, and that one ball captured the gap between intent and control. RCB, meanwhile, got the kind of late fielding moment that often decides knockout cricket, with David’s catch ending any remaining hope.
Hazlewood will now play in his third IPL final, having previously won the title with Chennai Super Kings in 2021 and with RCB in 2025. David’s presence also carried its own edge, because he missed last year’s final with a hamstring injury. Gujarat will get one more chance on Friday, when they meet the winner of Wednesday’s eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad, who feature Pat Cummins and Travis Head, and Rajasthan Royals.
