What a chase by SRH yesterday! This IPL is giving us everything, isn’t it? From low-scoring thrillers to Super Overs, to teams chasing 240s and 260s in 18–19 overs like it’s a 160 total—this has been pure entertainment. The variety has been incredible.
Coming back to the match, MI did well to post 243 on the board, but against a batting lineup like SRH’s, no total ever feels safe. And they proved exactly that. Throughout the chase, not for a single moment did it feel like the game was out of their control. They dismantled MI’s quality bowling attack all around the Wankhede Stadium.
While MI are known for their comebacks, bouncing back from the kind of losses they’ve just had is going to be a real challenge.
In today’s game, the defending champions return to the very stadium where they ended their 17-year wait for the title on June 3, 2025. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are back at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to take on the hosts, Gujarat Titans, in Match 42 of the Tata IPL 2026.
And in this post, we’ll get you up to speed with everything you need to know before this clash tonight.
Expected Playing 11:
RCB:
- Virat Kohli
- Jacob Bethell
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (C)
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Tim David
- Romario Shephard
- Krunal Pandya
- Josh Hazlewood
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Suyash Sharma
Impact Player- Rasikh Dar
GT:
- Shubman Gill (C)
- Sai Sudharshan
- Jos Buttler
- Washington Sundar
- Jason Holder
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Manav Suthar
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player- Ashok Sharma/Prasidh Krishna
Head to Head:
| Matches- | 7 |
| GT Won- | 3 |
| RCB Won- | 4 |
| No Result- | 0 |
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
In the last two games at this venue, KKR were bowled out for 180, while GT themselves were dismissed for just 100 against MI. The pitch being used today is the same one that hosted last year’s Tata IPL final between RCB and PBKS.
Just imagine how it must feel for an RCB player—returning to the ground where they ended their 17-year wait for the title, and then getting to play on the very same pitch where it happened.
Putting emotions aside, you can expect a moderately high-scoring first innings total—somewhere around 190–200. The conditions in Ahmedabad are scorching, with temperatures touching 41°C at 5 PM IST and dropping to around 34°C by 8 PM, shortly after the game begins. It’s going to be a tough outing, and the heat will definitely play a role.
Prediction:
We’re backing RCB to win this clash against GT at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Why? Because GT have been inconsistent with their performances. While they were impressive against CSK, they’ll need to raise their level even further against a team like RCB.
RCB, on the other hand, are arguably in the form of their lives. They’ve been building momentum over the last couple of seasons, and their squad balance looks excellent.
That said, GT’s top order on its day can take the game away very quickly. But they do rely heavily on it, and if a quality bowling attack like RCB’s can break through early and dismiss those key batters, the pressure will shift onto the middle order where GT have struggled.
For GT to stand a chance, their middle-order batters need to step up and take responsibility, because in a league like this, you can’t rely on the top order alone.
The Prince vs The King, at the biggest stadium in the world—don’t miss it. Tune in to JioHotstar at 7:30 PM IST.
Until next time!
Thank you.
SlogVlog 