IPL 2026: Kohli-Padikkal power RCB win over GT, Sudharsan century goes in vain

Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged past Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets with 7 balls to spare in Match 34 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, chasing down a stiff target of 206 in a tense finish.

GT posted a strong 205/3 in 20 overs, powered by a stunning century from Sai Sudharsan, but RCB responded with a clinical chase to move up the points table.

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Sudharsan’s masterclass powers GT to 205

Sai Sudharsan was the standout performer for Gujarat Titans, smashing 100 off 58 balls to anchor the innings. He overcame early movement from the new ball to settle into rhythm and dominate the RCB attack.

Shubman Gill contributed 32, while Jos Buttler added a brief burst before falling for 17. Jason Holder provided a late flourish, ensuring GT crossed the 200-mark.

Sudharsan’s knock also saw him become the fastest batter to reach 2,000 IPL runs in just 47 innings, breaking a long-standing record previously held by Chris Gayle.

For RCB, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Suyash Sharma picked up a wicket each, but struggled to contain Sudharsan’s dominance.

Kohli-Padikkal partnership powers RCB chase

RCB’s reply got early momentum through Devdutt Padikkal, who blasted 55 off 27 balls, including a rapid half-century that set the tone for the chase.

Virat Kohli then anchored the innings with a composed 81 off 44 balls, combining with Padikkal for a crucial 115-run stand for the second wicket.

Kohli also created history, becoming the first player to hit 800 fours and 300 sixes for a single IPL franchise.

RCB briefly stumbled after losing quick wickets in the middle overs, slipping from 141/1 to 173/5, bringing GT back into the contest.

With the game tightening, Krunal Pandya held his nerve at the death, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls. He struck key boundaries in the 18th and 19th overs to ease the pressure before finishing the chase with a clean stroke, sealing victory for RCB at 206/5 in 18.5 overs.

With this win, RCB climbed to second place with 10 points from 7 matches, while GT slipped to sixth with 6 points.

RCB now lead the head-to-head record 4–3 across seven meetings between the sides.

The two teams will meet again in the return fixture on 30 April 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

RCB vs GT IPL 2026: Playing XIs

Gujarat Titans:
Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj

Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam