RCB crush Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in IPL finale

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Match 71 of the Indian Premier League, with Rajat Patidar blazing 93 off 33 balls in a breathtaking display of power-hitting that defined the contest. RCB piled up 254/5 and then bowled GT out for 162 in 19.3 overs, finishing the league stage with one of their most emphatic wins of the season.

This was the final match of the 71-match league phase, and RCB signed off in style. In a season that had already seen them stack up notable wins across the schedule — including victories by 43 runs, 18 runs, nine wickets and a tense two-wicket finish — this one was their biggest statement. For Gujarat Titans, who had also produced commanding results through the campaign, including wins by 77, 82 and 89 runs, it was a sobering finish to their league programme.

With no matches left in the series, this result closes out the league stage rather than deciding or extending any head-to-head sequence. Match 71 was the last fixture of the regular schedule.

RCB batters overwhelm GT

RCB’s 254/5 was built on relentless intent from the outset. Venkatesh Iyer gave the innings an instant jolt with 19 from just 7 balls, striking three fours and a six, before Virat Kohli kept the momentum surging with 43 off 25, including five fours and a six. Devdutt Padikkal matched that attacking approach with 30 from 19 balls, and by the time the top order had done its work, Gujarat were already chasing the innings.

Then Patidar took over completely. His 93 off 33 balls featured five fours and nine sixes, and at a strike rate of 281.8 it was one of the most destructive knocks of the season. He turned a strong platform into an overwhelming one, repeatedly targeting the boundary and denying GT any chance to string together quiet overs. Krunal Pandya then ensured there was no let-up, thumping 43 from 28 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Jitesh Sharma’s 15 off 5 supplied the late flourish. Tim David made 4 from 5 in a rare quiet cameo amid the carnage.

GT’s bowlers had few answers. Kagiso Rabada finished with 2/54 from 4 overs and Jason Holder took 2/39 from 4, but both operated in a high-risk environment with RCB attacking almost every phase. Prasidh Krishna’s 1/53 and Mohammed Siraj’s 0/46 from 3 overs underlined the punishment, while even Rashid Khan was kept wicketless in his 3 overs, returning 0/29.

Early wickets break the chase

Chasing 255 always required a flying start, and Gujarat briefly found one through Jos Buttler, who blasted 29 off 11 balls with four fours and two sixes. But the chase kept losing wickets at precisely the wrong moments. Sai Sudharsan made 14 from 9, Shubman Gill fell for 2 from 7, and Nishant Sindhu’s 5 from 3 was only a fleeting contribution. When Washington Sundar managed 8 from 8 and Jason Holder was dismissed for 0 from 3, GT were left needing something extraordinary.

Rahul Tewatia tried to provide it. His 68 from 43 balls, containing eight fours and four sixes, was a spirited counterattack and by some distance the backbone of the innings. Rashid Khan added 8 from 9, Kagiso Rabada chipped in with 9 from 5, Mohammed Siraj made 5 from 13, and Prasidh Krishna scored 6 from 7, but the target was simply too steep and the wickets kept falling around Tewatia.

RCB’s attack stayed disciplined despite the scale of the chase. Jacob Duffy struck three times for 39 in his 4 overs, Bhuvneshwar Kumar added another influential spell with 2/28 from 4, and Rasikh Salam’s 2/24 from 3 hurt the middle order. Krunal capped an excellent all-round outing with 2/16 in 3.3 overs, while Josh Hazlewood took 1/39. GT were eventually bowled out for 162 with three balls left, sealing a crushing margin.

Match-turning moments

The first major shift came in the middle overs of RCB’s innings when Patidar launched into a breathtaking assault that turned a potentially par total into a massive one. His boundary-hitting forced Gujarat off their lengths and exposed every bowling change. The second decisive phase came in the chase, where RCB removed Gill, Sindhu, Washington and Holder before Tewatia could truly build sustained support. From there, the asking rate remained well beyond control.

Krunal’s contribution was especially significant in the broader shape of the match. His 43 with the bat added heft after Patidar’s onslaught, and his 2/16 later ensured GT never found a route back through the middle overs. Bhuvneshwar and Duffy then kept squeezing, making sure Buttler’s early fireworks and Tewatia’s resistance amounted only to isolated bursts.

Key performers

• Rajat Patidar (RCB): 93 off 33 balls, 5 fours, 9 sixes
• Krunal Pandya (RCB): 43 off 28 balls and 2/16 in 3.3 overs
• Virat Kohli (RCB): 43 off 25 balls
• Rahul Tewatia (GT): 68 off 43 balls
• Jacob Duffy (RCB): 3/39 in 4 overs
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB): 2/28 in 4 overs

NerdSports Stat: RCB hit 14 sixes in their 254/5, and Rajat Patidar alone accounted for nine of them — more sixes by himself than Gujarat Titans managed as a team in the chase, where they hit seven.

There was also a wider form-line to this result. Virat Kohli came into the match with 378 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 164.3, Devdutt Padikkal had 308 at 162.1, and both continued RCB’s season-long trend of fast starts. For GT, Sai Sudharsan’s 525 runs and Shubman Gill’s 451 before this match had underpinned much of their campaign, but neither could make the substantial score required on the night. With the ball, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had entered with 20 wickets in 10 matches and again showed why he has been one of RCB’s most reliable operators, while Rasikh Salam continued his strong season with another two wickets.

Pre-match win probability had this as close to even — RCB 52.46% to GT 47.54% — but the match itself was anything but. Once Patidar exploded and RCB crossed 250, the contest tilted sharply, and Gujarat never came close to dragging it back. On the final night of the league phase, RCB delivered the sort of complete T20 performance that leaves a lasting impression: explosive top-order batting, middle-order acceleration, and a bowling effort that kept taking wickets instead of merely defending runs.

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