Table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lock horns with the Gujarat Capitals at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala tonight.
The winner of the match will move to the IPL 2026 final. It will take 2 more matches after this to decide the 2nd team in the final.
The match will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar. Dharamshala has a capacity of around 23,000 fans. It is arguably the most beautiful cricket venue in the world.
Head-to-Head Record
RCB and GT have faced each other 8 times in the IPL. Both sides have won 4 matches each. The head-to-head record is perfectly level going into their next clash.
RCB’s highest team total against GT stands at 206. Their lowest score in this fixture is 155. GT posted the highest score of 205 against RCB. Their lowest total in this matchup is 147.
In IPL 2026, RCB won the league stage encounter by 5 wickets. GT hit back and won the second league game by 4 wickets. During the league stage, both teams defended their home grounds successfully against each other.
In IPL 2024, RCB won both fixtures against GT. GT had the upper hand in 2025, 2023 and once in 2022. RCB also claimed one win in the 2022 season.
This is the first time Gujarat will be playing in Dharamshala. RCB have played 3 matches here and won 2. This year, they defeated the Punjab Kings by 23 runs.
Team News
RCB head into Qualifier 1 with a significant injury concern. All-rounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of the playoffs entirely. He has returned to the UK after sustaining a finger injury.
Phil Salt is now back in contention following his own recovery. However, he remains under medical observation and is not fully cleared.
Skipper Rajat Patidar has confirmed that Salt is training and doing drills. If Salt is unavailable, Venkatesh Iyer will open alongside Virat Kohli. Death-over specialist Rasikh Salam Dar is expected to serve as RCB’s primary bowling Impact Sub.
Gujarat Titans, by contrast, enter this knockout game with a clean bill of health. No fresh injuries have been reported ahead of the clash.
GT are expected to rely heavily on their settled top three. Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler form that trusted batting core. GT’s main tactical question involves their Impact Sub choice between Prasidh Krishna and R Sai Kishore.
Probable XI
RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar (Impact Player).
GT: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna (Impact Player).
Key Players to Watch
Six players are expected to decide the outcome of Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala.
Virat Kohli (RCB): The Chase Master is the backbone of RCB’s batting lineup. He has scored 557 runs this season at an average of 50.64. His strike rate of 163.82 makes him a constant threat.
Shubman Gill (GT): The GT skipper enters the match just 22 runs behind the Orange Cap leader. The GT captain has accumulated 616 runs at a strike rate of 161.67.
Sai Sudharsan (GT): The Gujarat batter currently holds the Orange Cap with 638 runs this season. He has been GT’s most reliable and destructive batter throughout.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB): The veteran pacer holds the Purple Cap and will be crucial in the Powerplay. Conditions at Dharamsala should suit his swing bowling perfectly. He has dismissed Gill 5 times in IPL history.
Kagiso Rabada (GT): The South African pacer leads GT’s pace attack with 24 dismissals. His opening spell against Kohli sets the tone early.
Rashid Khan (GT): The Afghan magician has taken 19 wickets this season. His economy stands solid at 8.71.
Pitch and Conditions
Chasing under lights is the heavily-favoured strategy at HPCA Stadium tonight. However, high-altitude conditions and a cool mountain breeze will test teams defending a total.
Match hours are expected to remain entirely clear. Temperatures will drop gradually from 17°C at the start to 15°C by the death overs. Rain chances remain zero throughout the evening.
The pitch sits 1,500 metres above sea level and offers true bounce and carry. Fast bowlers will get significant swing early under the floodlights.
Once the new ball fades, the thin air and short square boundaries favour big hitting. The outfield is famously quick. The average first-innings score here ranges between 180 and 195. Anything below 185 is highly vulnerable to a chase.
Heavy dew is expected to settle in during the second half. This will trouble spinners and ease batting conditions further. The toss winner should bowl first without hesitation.