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The match highlighted RCB's strong batting depth and home advantage at Chinnaswamy.
Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Krunal Pandya, right, and Tim David during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Friday, April 24, 2026. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI04_24_2026_000590B)(PTI)Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) delivered a remarkable chase to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in a high-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday (April 24). The defending champions overhauled a target of 206 with seven balls to spare, climbing to second place on the points table.
Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan smashes a century, but the side falls short
Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first on a batting-friendly pitch. Gujarat Titans got off to a flying start with Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill forming a 128-run opening stand. Sudharsan, returning to form, slammed a brilliant 100 off just 58 balls, studded with 11 fours and five sixes. His third IPL century powered GT to a formidable 205/3 in 20 overs.
Shubman Gill contributed a steady 32 off 24 balls before falling to Suyash Sharma. Jos Buttler added a quick 25 off 16, while Jason Holder smashed an unbeaten 23 off 10 in the death overs. RCB's bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (1/40) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/31), and Suyash Sharma (1/36) pulled things back nicely in the middle and death phases after a costly powerplay. The home side restricted GT to under 210, which proved chaseable on this ground.
Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal's masterclass seals thrilling win for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB's chase got off to a shaky start when Jacob Bethell departed for 14 off 10. But Virat Kohli, dropped on zero early by Washington Sundar, made GT pay dearly. He teamed up with Devdutt Padikkal for a match-defining partnership for the second wicket.
Kohli played a remarkable knock, scoring 81 off 44 balls with eight fours and four sixes. Padikkal matched him stroke for stroke, smashing 55 off just 27 deliveries, including six sixes and two fours. Their aggressive approach kept the required rate under control and thrilled the packed Chinnaswamy crowd.
After Padikkal fell to Rashid Khan, RCB lost a couple of quick wickets, but the lower order held firm. Tim David (10*) and Krunal Pandya (23*) finished the job in style, with Pandya hitting the winning runs in the 19th over. RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs.
Player of the Match Virat Kohli said, "If you see a ball to hit, you back yourself, go for it, because we have the batting depth and we have the confidence in the group as well. (on the crowd here) Yeah, brilliant. I mean, firstly, we're quite happy that we were able to play five games here. The fans get to see the team again, and yeah, it's just a special place to play cricket, and hopefully at the later stages of the tournament, we can come back here and entertain the crowd once more."
RCB surge on the points table after dominant home win
With this victory, RCB now have five wins from seven matches and 10 points, sitting second behind Punjab Kings with an NRR of +1.101. GT, on the other hand, stayed in seventh with three wins and four losses from seven games and an NRR of -0.790.
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. <br><br> 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. <br><br> 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. <br><br> 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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