Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are at two ends when it comes to approaching the T20 game. Adapting to the new batting demands of T20 cricket, RCB are loaded with batting firepower throughout the line-up. The arrangement of their batting order won them the Indian Premier League last season, where they looked equally adept at setting targets and chasing games.
RCB has No.8 batsman Krunal Pandya who is an adept striker in T20 cricket and capable of finishing games. In stark contrast is Rashid Khan’s GT #8. Even if you’re an experienced striker yourself, you wouldn’t put your money on Rashid finishing games.
This difference is also reflected in the rest of the middle order. RCB are energized by Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shepherd who are ready to go hammer and tongs if the top order doesn’t deliver the desired result on a given day.
The GT side has Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia and Jason Holder who have been criticized for their batting this season.
While the contrasts are stark, the similarities between the two sides are also quite apparent. RCB relied on their swing masters in the powerplay. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood were their men. Ask Delhi Capitals, were blown out of the water just days after posting one of the highest scores in the tournament this season.
Similarly, Gujarat have relied on Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj who have produced some amazing spells this season.
DEPARTED IN BENGALURU
But Gujarat bowling can only do so much. In their first encounter against RCB this season, played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, GT lost despite their opener Sai Sudharsan scoring a century. Sudharsan won praise from select sections of the pundits, but in reality the century at a strike rate of 172 did Gujarat more harm than good.
Sudharsan anchored the innings for GT while others struggled to score. The left-hander bowled almost half the balls in the 20 overs but barely struck in the last 15 balls. Result: GT scored 205 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
as an answer RCB went hammer and tongs from the very beginning of their persecution. Coming in at No.3, Devdutt Padikkal started his innings by smashing a six. He got out and tried to hit a six as well as he bowled less than half the balls than Sudharsan.
There were also anchors in the RCB innings. Dropped by Washington Sundar early in the match, Kohli eventually scored 81 off just 44 balls to guide the hosts to a successful chase in less than 17 overs.
And that is the gulf that both sides have in this edition of the game.
Even with this kind of cricket, Gujarat won four out of eight matches. The teams to beat this season are Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.
The four teams that make up the bottom half of the table. They would lose against DC, but an epic brain fade by david miller saved them from humiliation in this game.
Gujarat will have to pull up their socks and play a modern template if they are to stand a chance against RCB today.
GT vs RCB: TEAM NEWS
Photo by PTI
Gujarat win against CSK, a victory that was built on their incredible power play. Kagiso Rabada has run riot in Chennai and laid the foundations for a big win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. GT have kept Prasidh Krishna out of this game and chances are they won’t play with it.
Captain Shubman Gill was mildly critical of the team’s failure to close the ball game and it will be interesting to see how they deal with it in their home game.
For RCB, Phil Salt He is expected to miss the next game and Jacob Bethell will get another shot at the starting spot. Bethell played some sublime shots against DC in the previous match, but his cameo was cut short by T Natarajan’s sensational catch in New Delhi.
GT vs RCB: PITCH CONDITIONS
The match will be played at the same ground where RCB won the title last year. It’s a red-dominant wicket, the kind of pitch where fast bowlers have done really well this season.
With two in-form attacks, this matchup could turn out to be a powerplay shootout between the two teams. There is Rabada and Siraj on one side and Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood on the other, which should add a fascinating touch to the game.
In the T20 World Cup 2026, the red clay pitches in Ahmedabad produced some great bat-to-ball matches. A similar type of game can be expected on Thursday.
GT vs RCB: PREDICTED PLAYING XI
GT: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.
Impact Sub: Arshad Khan
RCB: Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar.
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
30 Apr 2026 09:55 IST
