Patidar’s Captaincy Masterclass Powers RCB to IPL Final

Rajat Patidar’s leadership shone brightly as Royal Challengers Bengaluru crushed Gujarat Titans by 92 runs to book their place in the IPL 2026 final. Batting first after losing the toss, RCB recovered from early setbacks through fluent partnerships involving Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and later Krunal Pandya. Patidar remained the fulcrum, guiding the innings to 254 for 5. In reply, GT collapsed under sustained pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals and finishing at 162. Jacob Duffy led the bowling attack with three scalps, supported by a disciplined effort from the rest of the unit. The emphatic win has set RCB up as genuine title contenders, while GT must now win Qualifier 2 to stay alive in the tournament.