RCB vs GT IPL 2026: Rajat Patidar’s 93 Powers Bengaluru To 254/5

Royal Challengers Bengaluru came out with only one plan against — attack from ball one and never slow down. And honestly, that’s exactly what they did. In a high-pressure IPL 2026 clash, RCB completely entertained the crowd with fearless batting and finished with a gigantic score of 254/5 in 20 overs.

The biggest hero of the innings was captain , who played an unbelievable knock of 93 runs. He missed his century by just seven runs, but the way he controlled the innings and smashed the bowlers all around the ground was simply outstanding.

From the powerplay till the final over, Bengaluru kept the scoreboard moving at a crazy pace. Gujarat Titans did pick up some important wickets in between, but RCB’s batting lineup looked too dangerous throughout the innings.

Rabada Gives GT An Early Breakthrough

The match started with plenty of excitement as RCB openers tried to attack immediately. But struck early and gave Gujarat Titans a big wicket.

In the second over, Rabada bowled a hard-length delivery outside off stump to . The ball bounced a little extra from the pitch, and Venkatesh lost balance while trying to play a pull shot. Instead of timing it properly, he sliced it high towards mid-off.

showed great awareness there. He turned around quickly, ran back a few steps, and completed a very good catch under pressure.

RCB were 21/1 after just two overs, and Gujarat Titans felt they had made a strong start.

But that early wicket only made Bengaluru more aggressive.

Kohli And Patidar Change The Momentum Quickly

After Venkatesh got out, walked in and immediately looked in attacking mood. Along with Rajat Patidar, he started playing positive cricket and slowly shifted pressure back onto the Gujarat bowlers.

Kohli played some classy shots through the covers and midwicket, while Patidar kept finding boundaries regularly. The duo mixed smart running with aggressive hitting, and suddenly the run rate started flying.

Patidar especially looked in complete control. Whether it was pace or spin, he handled everything comfortably. His timing was beautiful, and he was finding gaps almost every over.

GT bowlers were struggling to stop the flow of runs as RCB kept scoring at nearly 11-12 runs per over.

Jason Holder Brings Gujarat Back Into The Match

Just when it looked like RCB would completely run away with the game, produced a superb spell and changed the atmosphere for a few moments.

First, Holder dismissed Virat Kohli with a delivery that held slightly on the surface. Kohli tried to hit across the line, but the ball took an inside edge and crashed back onto the stumps.

Holder celebrated with full energy because everyone knew how important Kohli’s wicket was at that stage.

Only two balls later, Holder struck again and removed as well.

Padikkal tried to guide the ball towards third man, but he only managed a faint edge behind the wicket. safely completed the catch. Padikkal even reviewed the decision after discussing with his partner, but UltraEdge clearly showed a spike.

Suddenly, RCB went from complete control to 94/3, and Gujarat Titans looked fired up again.

Rajat Patidar Plays Like A True Captain

Even after those wickets, Rajat Patidar didn’t panic at all. In fact, that’s when he looked even more dangerous.

The RCB captain showed the perfect mix of calmness and aggression. Instead of trying risky shots immediately, he smartly rebuilt the innings for a few overs and then attacked again once he settled down properly.

Patidar smashed boundaries all around the stadium. His pull shots looked effortless, and his lofted drives over extra cover brought the crowd to its feet multiple times.

Every Gujarat bowler tried something different against him — slower balls, short balls, yorkers — but very little worked consistently.

What impressed fans the most was his confidence. He never looked under pressure despite wickets falling at the other end.

It genuinely felt like one of those special IPL innings where a batter completely takes control of the game.

Krunal And Tim David Add More Firepower

Later in the innings, played a useful supporting role and helped keep the momentum alive.

But Gujarat Titans got another wicket when Rabada returned and dismissed Krunal with a slower short ball. Krunal tried to pull but only managed a top edge, and took a neat catch near the boundary.

At that stage, though, RCB were already close to 190, and the platform for a massive finish was ready.

Then came , and as expected, he started smashing the ball from the very beginning.

David played some brutal shots in the death overs and gave Gujarat bowlers absolutely no breathing space. The boundaries kept coming, and RCB looked set for an unbelievable total.

Eventually, cleaned him up with a full delivery that crashed into the stumps after David missed his slog attempt.

But even that wicket couldn’t stop Bengaluru’s momentum.

RCB Cross 250 In Style

By the end of 20 overs, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had reached a gigantic 254/5 — one of the biggest totals of IPL 2026.

The innings belonged to Rajat Patidar, whose brilliant 93-run knock completely changed the game. He missed out on a deserved century, but fans inside the stadium still gave him a huge ovation for his outstanding batting display.

Virat Kohli’s quick cameo, Tim David’s late fireworks, and useful contributions from the middle order made sure RCB never slowed down at any stage.

For Gujarat Titans, Rabada and Holder were the only bowlers who managed to create some pressure with important wickets. But overall, the bowling unit struggled badly against Bengaluru’s fearless batting approach.

Now, with 255 runs needed for victory, the pressure is completely on Gujarat Titans. And after the way RCB batted tonight, this match already feels like one of the most entertaining contests of the IPL 2026 season.