Gujarat Titans face storm delay ahead of IPL 2026 final against RCB in Ahmedabad

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In sharp contrast, Royal Challengers Bengaluru arrived in Ahmedabad as early as Wednesday. The defending champions have already completed two full training sessions under the bright lights of the stadium,

Gujarat Titans' Mohammed Siraj celebrate with teammates during the Indian Premier League cricket match. (file photo)

Ahmedabad is set to host a thrilling IPL 2026 final on Sunday (May 31), but stormy weather has thrown the Gujarat Titans' (GT) plans into chaos. The home team’s late arrival leaves them with barely any time to settle in before facing defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in what promises to be a high-stakes clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Weather chaos hits GT travel schedule

Heavy rains and thunderstorms across north-western India, especially around Punjab and Rajasthan, forced airport officials in Chandigarh to delay take-offs on Saturday. Gujarat Titans had planned a smooth charter flight right after their hard-fought win over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday. Instead, the squad is now expected to touch down in Ahmedabad only after 10 PM on Saturday night.

This means the Titans will have less than 24 hours to rest, recover, and prepare for their third IPL final, all on home soil. Fans in Gujarat are feeling the tension as their favourite team scrambles against the clock. The BCCI’s decision to spread the playoffs across three different venues this season has created this unique travel challenge for the first time. Earlier formats kept things simpler with just two playoff spots.

RCB enjoys clear preparation advantage

In sharp contrast, Royal Challengers Bengaluru arrived in Ahmedabad as early as Wednesday. The defending champions have already completed two full training sessions under the bright lights of the stadium, giving them valuable time to fine-tune strategies and build match rhythm.

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar addressed the situation calmly in a pre-final press interaction. "Yes, because after Qualifier 1 we got enough time to rest and recover. At the same time, GT are coming straight from Qualifier 2," Patidar said when asked if their early arrival was a positive. "There is some sort of advantage, but not a huge one because both teams are very good and have played excellent cricket."

Ahmedabad’s rich IPL final history

This will mark Ahmedabad’s fourth IPL final, a city that has seen some unforgettable nights under the floodlights. Back in 2023, the final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans turned into a rain-soaked drama. That match stretched across three days after organisers used a reserve day and even extended play by two hours to crown the winner in the early morning hours.

Weather forecasts for Sunday look promising so far, offering hope for a full, uninterrupted contest this time around. Yet, the memory of that washed-out thriller still lingers for players and fans alike.

About the Author

Aachal Maniyar

Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.

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