Too close, yet too far, that’s been the story for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 season. They made a glorious bounce back in the play-offs, defeating the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 to make their way into the final to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
In the lead-up to the IPL 2026 final, Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans were in stunning form. Gill himself was in good touch. For him, and for the team, it is very hard to accept the reality.
RCB conquered the Gujarat Titans to defend their title
A day after the IPL 2026 final, the GT skipper shares a heartfelt note, along with some , through an Instagram post. Shubman Gill mentions that the result of the summit clash came with deep hurt to them. They came very close to claiming the trophy, but could not manage to do the needful at the correct moment, which took away the momentum from them.
It was a one-sided final match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. First, RCB dismantled the in-form top order of the Gujarat Titans, and then in the second innings, they killed the game in the powerplay.
Early departures of the in-form batters like Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharshan, and Josh Buttler did not allow the Titans to make a strong comeback. From the middle-order, Washington Sundar scored a half-century, but that allowed the team to secure only a total of 155 runs on the board.
It was a one-sided match in the IPL 2026 final
Venkatesh Iyer provided RCB a flying start inside the powerplay, and the rest of the job was precisely done by the batting icon Virat Kohli. From the beginning to the end of the run chase, Virat Kohli remained firm on the track, scoring an unbeaten 75 off 42 and securing the win in the final by smashing a maximum in the last ball of the 18th over.
Shubman Gill stated that it was an utter disappointment moment for them, but that defeat had appeared as a great lesson for the team. Now, as the IPL 2026 season is over, the focus is gradually shifting to the national duties.
It hurts deeply: Shubman Gill
“We came so close but couldn’t get over the line. It hurts deeply, and the disappointment weighs heavily, but this game that we all love teaches us so much about life. One thing it’s taught me is that there is no defeat in losing, as long as we keep coming back and do not give up. Now we go again for the country 🇮🇳,” Shubman Gill mentioned in his Instagram post.
“I want to thank every one of you who stood by us through the highs and the lows. Your energy pushed us to the very end,” the Gujarat Titans skipper concluded.
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Team India will mark their return in the first week of June when they will be up against Afghanistan for a one-off Test at the Maharaja Singh PCA Stadium in Punjab, followed by a 3-match ODI .Shubamn Gill will be back with his captaincy duties for the Men in Blue.