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Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Indian cricket player Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring a half-century (50 runs) during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --
The IPL 2026 final is finally here! And what bigger stage could there be than this? Two teams fighting for a trophy and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad full of crowd, setting the scene for a cricket night where anything could happen.
The game starts at 7:30 PM IST, with the world´s largest cricket stadium serving as a scenery. It’s difficult to imagine a better setting for a final.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter the final as both the defending champions and the overwhelming favorites, having just taken a win over the Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1.
The key man in that victory was Rajat Patidar, who scored a blistering 93 off 33 balls. His innings was a statement of how potent the RCB team can be when they are at their best.
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RCB are expected to go in with the same combination that demolished GT last time.
- Virat Kohli
- Venkatesh Iyer
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Rajat Patidar (C)
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Tim David
- Krunal Pandya
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Josh Hazlewood
- Jacob Duffy
- Rasikh Salam
Phil Salt has returned from a finger injury and could come in if RCB feel he is ready. If he plays, Venkatesh Iyer may drop down or make way. Either way, this batting order has no real weak link.
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GT arrive with serious momentum after pulling off the highest successful chase in IPL playoff history against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Shubman Gill was the one who made that happen, and he carries that form into tonight.
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gill (C)
- Jos Buttler (WK)
- Nishant Sindhu
- Washington Sundar
- Jason Holder
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
Their bowling is just as threatening, with Rabada leading the Purple Cap race and Rashid Khan ready to strangle the middle overs. The last time these two met, RCB posted 254 and bowled GT out for 162. GT know exactly what went wrong
A team that just chased down a record playoff total is not one you want to sleep on, and with 130,000+ fans at their home ground, the atmosphere alone could shift the game.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar