“GT and SRH are a bit predictable” – former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach’s stark verdict on the playoffs

Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Agency Image) Former Australian cricketer and current Lucknow Super Giants Global Director of Cricket Tom Moody believes Gujarat Titans were badly exposed on a flat batting surface during their crushing defeat to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1. RCB booked their place in the second consecutive IPL final after achieving complete dominance in Dharamsala on Tuesday. Led by a sensational unbeaten 93 from skipper Rajat Patidar, Bengaluru amassed a record playoff total of 254/5 before bowling Gujarat out for 162 to seal a massive 92-run victory. Analyzing the one-sided contest on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Moody explained that Gujarat’s bowling attack becomes highly predictable on bat-friendly wickets where little seam movement or swing is available. “Their predictability hurts them when conditions are not to their liking,” Moody said. He compared Gujarat’s bowling struggles to the batting woes faced by Sunrisers Hyderabad on difficult pitches, suggesting that both teams rely heavily on specific conditions to dominate matches. “It’s a bit like Sunrisers Hyderabad. When the surface gets a bit done, their batting line-up struggles. Gujarat are almost the bowling version,” explained Moody. According to Moody, GT’s fast offense only becomes dangerous when the pitch offers an assist. He pointed out that bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada are at their best when they can attack difficult lengths by moving through the air or off the surface. “When there is movement on the field, it is very difficult to face Siraj and Rabada because they hit these hard lengths and create problems both inside and outside the bat,” he said. “But on a very flat surface like this, they become vulnerable because their main strengths are not extreme rotation, slower balls or deception,” Moody added. RCB recognized these limitations early and attacked relentlessly from the start. Virat Kohli laid the platform with a quickfire 43 while Devdutt Padikkal kept the score high during a brisk 72-run partnership. Although Jason Holder briefly brought Gujarat back into the game with two wickets in three balls, Patidar and Krunal Pandya completely shifted the momentum with a brutal 95 off just 47 deliveries. Moody also highlighted that Gujarat lack bowlers who can consistently fool the batsmen with slower balls and variations on flat packages. “They don’t really have those slower ball specialists or deceptive change-of-pace bowlers who can constantly put doubt in a batsman’s mind on flat wickets,” Moody said. “Therefore, on surfaces where the ball does not play much, teams can line them up more comfortably,” he added. The GT’s problems were further compounded by poor display in the field. Dropping catches, misfields and extra runs allowed RCB to race towards the highest total ever recorded in the history of the IPL playoffs. Captain Shubman Gill admitted after the match that Gujarat were not good enough under pressure, especially in the field. In response, the Titans were never really in the chase after collapsing to 51/5 in the powerplay. Rahul Tewatia fought hard with a defiant 68 but the damage was already done as the RCB bowling attack completed a dominant all-round performance. While Bengaluru now head into the IPL 2026 final full of confidence, Gujarat Titans need to regroup quickly ahead of the next knockout clash in Chandigarh.