NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a dominant performance in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1, defeating Gujarat Titans by a massive 92 runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, RCB posted an imposing total of 254 for 5 in their 20 overs, riding on a sensational unbeaten knock of 93 off just 33 balls by Rajat Patidar. The right-hander smashed nine sixes and five fours, leaving the GT bowlers helpless.
RCB's Batting Masterclass
Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya contributed 43 runs each, providing solid support to Patidar. Kohli's innings came off 31 balls, while Pandya's 43 came from 28 deliveries. The GT bowling attack struggled under pressure, with no bowler managing to contain the flow of runs. Rashid Khan was the most economical, conceding 38 runs in his four overs but failing to pick up a wicket.
GT's Chase Falls Apart
Chasing a daunting target of 255, Gujarat Titans never got off to a good start. Shubman Gill was dismissed for 12, while Sai Sudharsan managed only 8. Jos Buttler, the explosive opener, departed for a duck, leaving GT reeling at 25 for 3 inside the powerplay. Despite a brief resistance from David Miller (34) and Rahul Tewatia (28), the required run rate kept climbing. GT were eventually bowled out for 162 in 18.3 overs, handing RCB a comprehensive victory.
Glenn Phillips Fires Back at 'Giving Up' Question
After the match, Gujarat Titans batter Glenn Phillips attended the press conference despite not being part of the playing XI. During the interaction, a reporter asked if GT had mentally given up after seeing RCB score 254. The question clearly annoyed Phillips, who strongly rejected the suggestion.
“That's a silly question. That is a really silly question. No one goes in there waiting to go, 'Oh, you know what? We're just going to give up on this one.' Why would we do that as professional cricketers? That's a terrible question,” he told reporters.
Phillips explained that chasing such a massive total always creates pressure and every small mistake becomes costly. “We went out there, we gave it everything. Unfortunately, when you're trying to chase 250, everything has to go right. And we went out there to try and make everything go right, and obviously it didn't.”
He admitted scoreboard pressure played a huge role in the collapse but insisted the team gave everything on the field. “There's a huge amount of scoreboard pressure when you're trying to chase 250. And, you know, very few teams have done it,” he added.
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