Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the toss and chosen to bowl first against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Both teams are vying for their second IPL title, aiming to join the elite group of teams with multiple championship wins like Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders. RCB claimed victory in IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad, while GT secured the title in 2022 at the same venue, which serves as their home ground.
RCB has the opportunity to become one of the few teams to successfully defend their IPL title, with the winner of Qualifier 1 historically winning the trophy in eight out of the last instances. On the other hand, GT faces the challenge of playing their third game at a third venue in six days, having arrived in Ahmedabad only on Saturday night due to adverse weather conditions.
After winning the toss, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar confirmed that their playing eleven remains unchanged from the Qualifier 1 victory over GT in Dharamshala. Patidar expressed confidence in the pitch, emphasizing the importance of early breakthroughs. He highlighted the significance of focusing on the present and praised the support of the fans, especially the RCB supporters.
GT captain Shubman Gill expressed a preference to bat first if he had won the toss. He announced that left-arm seam bowling all-rounder Arshad Khan would replace R Sai Kishore in the playing eleven. Gill acknowledged the challenges posed by the pitch and the stadium’s size, noting the potential advantage for fast bowlers in the initial overs.
The final match will be played on pitch number six, featuring equidistant square boundaries of 66 meters. The pitch, described as mixed-soil, is expected to favor batsmen, although not excessively. Commentators anticipate a high percentage of deliveries on a good length from pacers and suggest that hit-the-deck bowlers may opt for a good or short of good length strategy.
