RCB vs GT, IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 | ‘It’s not in my control’: Rajat Patidar moves from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad for IPL 2026

Rajat Patidar (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: The winner of Qualifier 1 — be it defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru or Gujarat Titans — will directly book a place in the finals of IPL 2026. The climactic clash will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. During the pre-Qualifier 1 press conference, RCB captain Rajat Patidar was asked if the defending champions could lose the final at their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, if they qualify for the title clash.BCCI shifted IPL 2026 final to Ahmedabad due to operational reasons.“It’s not in my control. I think the BCCI has to decide where the final will be. This is a historic venue, so wherever the final will be, it will be there. Our focus is to reach the final,” Patidar told reporters.RCB will carry the defending champions’ confidence into Qualifier 1 when they take on Gujarat Titans at the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday.The winner will advance directly to Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad, while the loser will get another opportunity through Qualifier 2. The loser of Qualifier 1 will face the winner of the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.Both RCB and GT finished the league stage on 18 points from 14 matches, with RCB securing the top spot thanks to superior net rate after a consistently strong campaign.Patidar also admitted that it is becoming increasingly difficult for bowlers to survive in an IPL season dominated by 200-plus totals. Acknowledging that even a score of 220-250 was no longer safe, the RCB skipper said the conditions had made life difficult, especially for the pacers.“I feel it is more challenging for the bowlers. The wickets are bat friendly, the boundaries are smaller and so is the dew. Especially with the fast bowlers, even a small mistake is a six,” Patidar said during the pre-match media interaction.“But whatever goal we get or the conditions, we try to do our best for it. It’s not in my hands to decide how the goals should be,” he added.“Both teams have done pretty well throughout the season. On any given day, whichever team executes their plans better and remains calm under pressure will win,” he said.GUARDIANS:Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash D. Sharma, Vnil Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra.Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Jayant Sharma Yadav, Ash Jason Hold, Sharma Yadav, Ash Jason Luke Wood, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Anuj Rawat, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gurnoor Brar, M. Shahrukh Khan

Who do you think will win Qualifier 1 between RCB and Gujarat Titans?