There was practically nothing to separate Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans at the end of the IPL 2026 league stage.

Both sides accumulated nine wins each and were separated by a narrow Net Run Rate margin of 0.088. They even had a 1-1 head-to-head record. But, when they meet at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala for their Qualifier 1 contest on Tuesday (May 25, 2026), the winner will take a large stride towards securing a second IPL title.

Defending champion RCB appears to be the favourite for the crown despite bumps along the road. The side’s success is in large part due to the performances of its two most senior cricketers.

Virat Kohli (557) continues to churn out runs at the top of the order, this time with a personal-best strike rate of 163.82. Medium-pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has turned the clock back. He has already bagged 24 wickets at a praiseworthy economy rate of 8.07. With short boundaries and barely any help on offer for the spinners, RCB might be tempted to play Jacob Duffy considering Phil Salt is doubtful for the match.

GT has been a top-heavy side and this season is no different. Openers Shubman Gill (616) and Sai Sudharsan (638) are the bedrock on which the batting block has been built, with both of them scoring over 600 runs. The real difference-maker in the Titans ranks has been South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, whose fiery spells have given him 24 wickets.

The conditions at the scenic venue often render contests as a direct confrontation of batting might but with two quality bowling line-ups on display, it could well be the execution with the ball that eventually decides the winner.