Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to make it to its second consecutive Indian Premier League final as it takes on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala on Tuesday.
RCB topped the league stage with 18 points, pipping GT on NRR.
Here are three key player battles that could define the RCB vs GT Qualifier 1:
Virat Kohli vs. Kagiso Rabada
.Unsurprisingly, Virat Kohli has been RCB’s leading run-scorer this season, amassing 557 runs from 14 innings.
Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada has carried much of the bowling burden for GT, taking 24 wickets from 14 innings, the joint-highest tally in IPL 2026 alongside RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Kohli and Rabada have shared a storied rivalry across formats over the last decade. In T20 cricket, however, the South African quick has largely had the upper hand, dismissing the Indian batting stalwart six times in 18 innings. If Rabada can prise out Kohli early in the PowerPlay, it would significantly tilt the balance of the game in GT’s favour.
Kohli vs Rabada in T20s
Innings – 16
Runs – 111 from 79 balls (strike rate – 140.50)
Dismissals – 6 (average – 18.5)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs. gt openers
It is well established that the Titans are heavily reliant on their top order. Opener B Sai Sudharsan, with 638 runs, currently sits atop the Orange Cap standings, while his opening partner Shubman Gill is close behind in second with 616.
In Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB has the ideal in-form weapon to counter GT’s biggest strength.
Both Sai Sudharsan and Gill have modest records against the RCB pacer. Gill, in particular, has struggled against Bhuvneshwar, averaging just 16.00 and striking at 106.66 in their meetings.
Shubman Gill vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20s
Innings: 13
Runs: 80 from 75 balls (strike rate – 106.66)
Dismissals: 5 (average – 16.00)
Sai Sudharsan vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in T20s
Innings: 6
Runs: 51 from 42 balls (strike rate – 121.42)
Dismissals: 1 (average – 51.00)
Rashid Khan vs. Tim David
Rashid Khan’s return to form has been central to GT’s dominant run in IPL 2026. The leg-spinner has already claimed 19 wickets at a miserable economy rate of 8.71.
On Tuesday, Rashid is likely to come up against RCB’s middle-order enforcer Tim David, who has hammered 277 runs at a strike rate of 197.85 this season.
Rashid has largely had the upper hand in their battles so far, conceding just 7.77 runs per over against the Australian batter. That could encourage GT to hold back an over or two from Rashid at the death in an attempt to neutralize David’s finishing threat.
Tim David vs Rashid Khan in T20s
Innings: 17
Runs: 70 from 54 balls (strike rate – 129.62)
Dismissals: 3 (average – 23.33)
Published on May 26, 2026
