After 73 matches, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on its final day with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Gujarat Titans in a high-octane summit clash as both the teams chase their second trophy in the cabinet.
While RCB broke their 18-year IPL title-drought last year, Gujarat Titans won it in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2023.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans will have the home advantage of at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, having played more than 30 games at this venue. While cricket is always being played as a team sport, there are a few player battles that could shape the outcome of the game. LiveMint tracks down five of them below:
Virat Kohli vs Mohammed Siraj
The most emotional contest could be between Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj as the former RCB teams now face each other on opposite sides in the biggest match of the season. Having left RCB after 2024, Kohli faced Siraj in just 19 balls and scored 31 runs. Most importantly, Siraj has not been able to dismiss his former RCB teammate so far in IPL.
If Siraj find some early movement against Kohli inside the powerplay and breach his senior’s defence, it could have a great impact on the outcome of the game. But if Kohli manages to survive the new ball, it could be a challenge for Gujarat Titans to stop the highest run-getter of IPL.
Shubman Gill vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Another player battle of high intensity is Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill. For the record, Bhuvneshwar has gotten better of Shubman six times in IPL and have always made the current Indian Test and ODI captain struggle in the middle.
Based on the stats, Bhuvneshwar has bowled 41 dots out of 79 deliveries against Shubman. Most recently, Bhuvneshwar brilliantly set up Shubman in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 before cleaning up the Gujarat Titans batter. With the new ball, Bhuvneshwar will be once again looking to repeat the same.
Sai Sudharsan vs Jacob Duffy
The most unluckiest award in IPL 2026 should go to Sai Sudharsan after Gujarat Titans batter is coming into the final after two bizarre hit-wicket dismissals in the playoffs. While Sudharsan would be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself, the RCB’s Jacob Duffy could challenge the Gujarat Titans batter. With the new ball set to swing a bit in Ahmedabad, it will Sudharsan would be hoping to negate the Duffy challenge early on.
Jos Buttler vs Josh Hazlewood
Not just in IPL, but Jos Buttler vs Josh Hazlewood has become one of the most facinating player battles across the globe. For the record, the Australian pacer has dismissed the former England skipper six times in T20s (international and franchise cricket).
Recently during Qualifier 1, Buttler took Hazlewood for 4, 6, 4 in an over before the RCB fast bowler outfoxed the Englishman with a slower knuckle-ball leg cutter. With Gujarat Titans batting significantly depending on their top three, Buttler’s early dismissal could be a blessing in disguise for RCB.
Rajat Patidar vs Kagiso Rabada
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar dominate the battle against Kagiso Rabada. In 22 deliveries against Rabada, Patidar smashed the South African pacer for 56 runs without being dismissed once.
Recently, Patidar launched Rabada into the stands for quite a few times during his 21-ball fifty in Qualifier 1. While Rabada bowled hard lengths outside the off-stump with an aim for a mistimed shot, Patidar was clever to to stay deep into the crease and punch the ball over extra cover for sixes.
Catch the live updates from IPL 2026 with the complete IPL 2026 Schedule and the IPL 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts in IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap.