IPL 2026 Final: Ahmedabad Gujarat Titans arrival delayed till Saturday due to storm

Gujarat Titans’ preparations for the IPL 2026 final were interrupted after stormy weather delayed their arrival in Ahmedabad on Saturday, leaving them less than 24 hours to prepare for Sunday’s title clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, the Titans were scheduled to depart from Chandigarh on a chartered flight on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after their Qualifier 2 win over Rajasthan Royals. However, heavy rain in Punjab and Rajasthan affected flight operations, with airport authorities in Chandigarh unable to clear several departures, including by charter company GT.

The team is now expected to land in Ahmedabad after 10pm on Saturday before traveling to their hotel in Gandhinagar, about 30 minutes from the airport.

The late arrival adds another challenge for Shubman Gill’s side as they prepare for their third IPL final and a chance for a second title. It is also the first time that an IPL finalist has had to travel on the eve of the final after the BCCI decided to host the play-offs at three venues instead of the usual two.

RCB, meanwhile, have a more settled build-up. After securing direct qualification for the finals through Qualifier 1, they arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday and completed two practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s race.

Captain Rajat Patidar acknowledged that the extra recovery time could be beneficial, although he did not call it a decisive advantage.

“Yes, because we had enough time to rest and recover after Qualifier 1. At the same time, the GTs are coming straight from Qualifier 2,” said Patidar. “There is some advantage but not much because both teams are very good and have played excellent cricket.

Ahmedabad will host its fourth IPL final, with current forecasts suggesting clear weather for the summit clash. However, the venue carries memories of the rain-hit 2023 final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, which spilled over into the reserve day and ended in the early hours of the morning after two hours of extra time.

The Titans will be looking to reclaim the trophy they won in 2022. The following season, they managed to defend their crown within a single ball before Ravindra Jadeja hit the decisive runs to hand Chennai Super Kings their fifth IPL title.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

30 May 2026 21:29 IST