Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans collide in the IPL 2026 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday, May 31. The match begins at 7:30 PM IST. RCB, the defending champions, stormed into the final by dismantling GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on May 26. GT bounced back from that humiliation with a breathtaking seven-wicket chase of 215 in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur on May 29, where Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 104 off 53 balls set the record for the highest successful run-chase in IPL playoff history.
This is a rematch of Qualifier 1, but the dynamics have completely flipped. GT now get to play at their home ground in Ahmedabad, giving them a venue advantage they were denied in Dharamsala. RCB arrive as champions seeking a back-to-back title. GT arrive seeking redemption and their second IPL trophy. The stakes could not be any higher.
IPL 2026 Final RCB vs GT Match Info
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Match | Final, IPL 2026 (TATA IPL) |
| Teams | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans |
| Date | Sunday, May 31, 2026 |
| Time | 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| RCB Captain | Rajat Patidar |
| GT Captain | Shubman Gill |
| RCB League Finish | 1st (18 points, 9W-5L) |
| GT League Finish | 2nd (18 points, 9W-5L) |
| Live Broadcast | Star Sports Network |
| Live Streaming | JioHotstar |
IPL 2026 Final Odds for RCB vs GT
The betting market leans toward RCB heading into the final, reflecting their superior head-to-head record in IPL 2026 and the sheer dominance of their Qualifier 1 victory. However, GT’s stunning comeback win over RR and the home-ground advantage at Ahmedabad have made this far closer than the odds suggest.
| Platform | RCB Win Odds | GT Win Odds | Toss Odds (RCB) | Toss Odds (GT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.85 | 2.05 | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| Stake | 1.80 | 2.10 | 1.85 | 1.90 |
| 4RABET | 1.82 | 2.08 | 1.88 | 1.88 |
| BetVibe | 1.88 | 2.00 | 1.90 | 1.85 |
IPL 2026 Final Toss Prediction for RCB vs GT
Both captains will want to bowl first at Narendra Modi Stadium, and the reasons are well-established.
The Narendra Modi Stadium has a strong track record of favouring chasing teams in T20 matches under lights. The pitch slows through the innings, making it progressively more difficult to defend as spinners lose their purchase and dew makes the ball harder to grip from the 12th over onward. Chasing teams have historically won over 60 percent of night matches at this venue.
GT’s home familiarity is the decisive factor here. Shubman Gill and his bowlers, particularly Rashid Khan, know these conditions inside out. They understand exactly when the dew arrives, which lengths are hardest to defend under lights, and how the outfield plays in Ahmedabad’s warm, dry evenings. For a team with the tournament’s most productive opening pair, being set a target and chasing it suits their blueprint perfectly.
RCB won the toss in Qualifier 1 and elected to bowl, demonstrating the same philosophy. With the dew factor confirmed for the evening of May 31, both sides will choose to bowl if they win the toss.
Toss Prediction: The toss winner will opt to bowl first.
RCB Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2026 Final
| Rank | Player | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | Batter (Opener) | 600 runs this season at SR 164; 344 career runs vs GT |
| 2 | Phil Salt (wk) | WK-Batter (Opener) | Explosive powerplay option; key at the top |
| 3 | Devdutt Padikkal | Batter | 433 runs at avg 36.08; seven 50-plus partnerships with Kohli |
| 4 | Rajat Patidar (c) | Batter | 486 runs at SR 197; 93* off 33 in Q1; Player of the Match |
| 5 | Tim David | Batter | Death-over destroyer; SR 197.85 in 2026 |
| 6 | Jitesh Sharma | WK-Batter | Finisher and gloveman option |
| 7 | Krunal Pandya | All-rounder | 200 runs + 10 wickets; second RCB player to achieve this double |
| 8 | Romario Shepherd | All-rounder | Power-hitting at the death and medium-pace option |
| 9 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Bowler | Purple Cap holder; 24+ wickets; dominant in powerplay |
| 10 | Josh Hazlewood | Bowler | Australian quick; vital for swing and pace in first three overs |
| 11 | Suyash Sharma | Bowler | Leg-spin; key in middle overs on the Ahmedabad surface |
| 12 (Impact) | Rasikh Salam Dar / Venkatesh Iyer | Bowler / All-rounder | Pace option or batting depth depending on conditions |
Key Strength: RCB’s batting firepower across all 11 positions is the deepest in the competition. Patidar’s unbeaten 93 off 33 balls in Qualifier 1 against this same GT attack confirmed that the defending champions know exactly how to neutralise Rabada, Rashid, and Siraj. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s dominance with the new ball, including his record of dismissing GT’s top order across the season, gives RCB a potent first-strike weapon.
GT Predicted Playing XI for IPL 2026 Final
| Rank | Player | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sai Sudharsan | Batter (Opener) | 652 runs in IPL 2026; 58 off 32 in Q2 |
| 2 | Shubman Gill (c) | Batter (Opener) | 618 runs; 104 off 53 vs RR in Q2; fifth IPL ton |
| 3 | Jos Buttler (wk) | WK-Batter | 498 runs at SR 159; explosive if unleashed at No. 3 |
| 4 | Washington Sundar | All-rounder | Stability in middle overs with bat and controlled spin |
| 5 | Nishant Sindhu | All-rounder | Batting depth and off-spin option in the middle |
| 6 | Jason Holder | All-rounder | 15 wickets; dismissed Parag and Shanaka with height and middle-stump lines |
| 7 | Rashid Khan | Bowler | 19 wickets; four-wicket haul vs RR in league stage |
| 8 | Arshad Khan | Bowler | Left-arm pace; death-over specialist |
| 9 | Kagiso Rabada | Bowler | Joint-leading wicket-taker; 26 wickets; powerplay enforcer |
| 10 | Mohammed Siraj | Bowler | 17 wickets; swing and movement throughout the innings |
| 11 | Prasidh Krishna | Bowler | Right-arm pace; reliable at both ends |
| 12 (Impact) | Rahul Tewatia | All-rounder | Finished Q2 chase with an audacious six; proven in pressure moments |
Key Strength: GT’s bowling unit is the most complete in the tournament. Their opening pair of Gill and Sudharsan is the most productive in IPL 2026, having combined for well over 1,200 runs across the season. The Qualifier 2 performance against RR showed that GT can chase any total on any surface when their top two are firing. Playing at home in Ahmedabad gives them an extra psychological edge.
Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Report, IPL 2026 Final
This is GT’s home ground, and they know every inch of it. Understanding the surface is essential to building the right Dream11 team.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| Location | Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Capacity | 1,32,000 |
| Pitch Type | Balanced surface; true bounce; slows from over 10 |
| Average 1st Innings Score (IPL 2026) | 181 to 195 |
| Boundary Size | ~70m (straight), ~75m (square) |
| Best Strategy | Bat second (dew factor and chasing advantage) |
Ahmedabad Weather Report, May 31, 2026
The weather picture for the final is clear skies with temperatures cooling significantly by match time. The maximum daytime temperature on May 31 is expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius, dropping to around 34 to 37 degrees during match hours.
| Weather Factor | Details |
|---|---|
| Condition | Clear to partly cloudy; no rain expected |
| Daytime High | 43°C |
| Evening Temperature | 34°C to 37°C during match hours |
| Humidity | Moderate to slightly elevated (~45-50%) |
| Wind Speed | Light, 8-12 km/h |
| Cloud Cover | Minimal |
| Dew Factor | Dew expected from ~12th over of the 2nd innings |
| Rain Probability | Near zero during match hours |
| Match Interruption Risk | None. A full 40-over contest is certain. |
Dream11 Team for RCB vs GT Final
RCB vs GT Head-to-Head: Last 5 Matches
Overall Head-to-Head (IPL History):
| Matches Played | RCB Wins | GT Wins | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 (Q1 2026 included) |
RCB lead the all-time head-to-head record, though this rivalry has been exceptionally competitive since GT entered the competition in 2022. The Q1 2026 win gave RCB a slight overall edge.
Last 5 Matches:
| Match | Date | Winner | Margin | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2026 Q1 | May 26, 2026 | RCB | 92 runs | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala |
| IPL 2026 | April 30, 2026 | GT | 4 wickets | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| IPL 2026 | April 24, 2026 | RCB | 5 wickets | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| IPL 2025 | League stage | GT | 8 wickets | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| IPL 2024 | League stage | RCB | 9 wickets | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Our Prediction: RCB Has Better Chances to Win Against GT in the IPL 2026 Final
Bottom line up front: RCB win a high-scoring final by 15 to 20 runs if batting first, or by five to six wickets if chasing.
Why RCB Can Win
The 92-run demolition in Qualifier 1 is not an anomaly that should be dismissed quickly. RCB exposed fundamental problems in GT’s batting lineup when conditions did not fully support stroke-play. Rajat Patidar’s 93 off 33 balls set a target that GT could never realistically chase, and when Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed the top order cheaply, the entire edifice crumbled. That blueprint works equally well on any surface.
Patidar is in the form of his life. His 486 runs this season at a strike rate of 197 make him the most destructive captain-batter combination in the tournament. A man who made GT’s best bowlers, including Rabada and Rashid Khan, look ordinary in a knockout match is precisely the kind of player who defines IPL finals.
Virat Kohli’s record in this rivalry, 344 runs at an average exceeding 60, speaks to a batter who reserves his best form for this specific opponent. Add Devdutt Padikkal’s consistency, Tim David’s death-over ferocity, and the depth that Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd provide, and RCB’s batting lineup is simply the most complete in the competition.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the Purple Cap for a reason. His ability to swing the ball in Ahmedabad’s warm evening air and hit the top of off stump from ball one has already claimed GT wickets multiple times this season. Suyash Sharma’s leg-spin on the Ahmedabad surface, which favours wrist-spin through the middle overs, adds a dimension GT may struggle to handle if the pitch is set and the ball is turning.
Why GT Can Win
Gill’s 104 off 53 balls against RR was not simply a great innings. It was a statement from a captain who refuses to be defined by a bad day. He took what happened in Dharamsala personally, and the response over 72 hours was one of the great individual playoff performances in the IPL’s 19-year history. A batter in that form, playing on his home ground, chasing a target under lights with dew in the outfield, is the most dangerous proposition in T20 cricket.
Sai Sudharsan’s 58 off 32 in Qualifier 2 was the perfect complement to Gill’s pyrotechnics. GT’s opening pair has averaged more runs per partnership than any other duo in IPL 2026 and has now proven they can handle the biggest occasions. A 167-run opening stand in a 215-run playoff chase is not a fluke. It is a statement of intent from two of the game’s most technically correct stroke-makers.
GT’s bowling attack at the Narendra Modi Stadium carries specific advantages. Rashid Khan’s leg-spin, which extracted four wickets against this RR batting lineup in the league stage, will turn more on this surface than it did in Dharamsala. Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj give GT a new-ball threat that few teams can match. Jason Holder’s ability to hit the top of off stump with back-of-length deliveries using his unusual height has consistently picked up middle-order wickets throughout the season.
Home advantage is real in an IPL final. GT have played multiple matches at this venue in 2026 and know the exact lengths that are hardest to hit when the pitch grips in the middle overs. RCB’s last visit here ended in a 155-all-out humiliation.
Final Verdict
This is a 55-45 contest in RCB’s favour. The head-to-head record in 2026 reads 2-1 to RCB. The defending champions have demonstrated the ability to post massive totals and restrict GT under lights. Patidar and Kohli in a knockout is a combination that GT have no answer for based on recent evidence.
However, GT playing at home in Ahmedabad, with Gill in the form of his career and a bowling attack that includes Rashid, Rabada, and Siraj, makes this the most evenly contested IPL final in several years.
Predicted Winner: RCB by 15 to 20 runs (if batting first) or 5 wickets (if chasing)
