Patidar's 33-ball 93 sends RCB to the IPL 2026 final with a 92-run win over Gujarat

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are through to the IPL 2026 final. They beat Gujarat Titans by 92 runs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday, with captain Rajat Patidar's unbeaten 93 off 33 balls driving them to 254 for 5, the highest team total ever made in an IPL playoff. Gujarat, who put RCB in after winning the toss, were bowled out for 162 in reply.

Bengaluru now head to Ahmedabad for the final on May 31. Gujarat drop into Qualifier 2 at New Chandigarh on May 29, where they will face the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

Patidar's 33 balls reshape an IPL record book

Devdutt Padikkal set the tempo with 30 off 19, Virat Kohli moved through to 43 off 25, and Jason Holder pulled both back in a single over, with Padikkal caught two balls after Kohli. That brought Patidar in, and the captain joined Krunal Pandya for a fourth-wicket stand that added 95 before Kagiso Rabada removed Krunal for 43 off 28.

The acceleration that broke Qualifier 1 came in the closing two overs. Patidar's innings finished with five fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 281.81, the highest in IPL history by a batter who has crossed 90 in a single innings. A sixth-wicket stand of 40 in 12 balls with Jitesh Sharma (15 not out off 5) carried RCB to 254, breaking the previous IPL playoff record of 233 set, by coincidence, by Gujarat against Mumbai Indians on this same date three years ago.

Gujarat lose the powerplay, then everything

Chasing 255, Gujarat needed a top-order start they did not get. Sai Sudharsan went early to Jacob Duffy for 14 off 9, hit wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then trapped Shubman Gill for 2 off 7, leaving the openers gone with 27 on the board. Jos Buttler counterattacked briefly to 29 off 11 before Josh Hazlewood bowled him, and the powerplay closed with Gujarat 51 for 5.

From there the chase ran out of resistance. Rahul Tewatia held one end together for 68 off 42, caught eventually at extra cover off Bhuvneshwar, but no other Gujarat batter passed 30. Duffy went on to finish with three wickets, including Rashid Khan for 8 off 9. Krunal Pandya removed Rabada and then Mohammed Siraj to bundle Gujarat out for 162, with Hazlewood closing on 1 for 39 from his four overs.

RCB wait in Ahmedabad

RCB finished the league phase as the top seed, 9 wins from 14, 18 points, and have made the final without playing through Qualifier 2 or the Eliminator. They will face whichever team comes out of Friday's Qualifier 2 in New Chandigarh.

For Gujarat, the road remains open but harder. Two more knockouts now stand between them and the trophy, starting with Qualifier 2 against the surviving team from the SRH-RR Eliminator at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.

Follow the rest of the IPL 2026 playoffs as the final takes shape