The Indian Premier League 2026 season concludes with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing former winners Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night, May 31, 2026.
Both franchises are competing for their second tournament title.
>>> Two 2026 NFL Draft Steals Make Immediate Impacts at Voluntary Workouts
Gujarat Titans arrived in Ahmedabad late Saturday evening after playing Qualifier 2 on Friday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru enjoyed a longer rest period following their victory in Qualifier 1.
Historical data shows the winner of Qualifier 1 has won the championship in each of the past eight seasons.
Key Player Matchups
The final features a battle between top-order batsmen and elite new-ball bowlers.
Gujarat Titans rely heavily on openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who have scored 722 and 710 runs respectively this season.
Jos Buttler added 507 runs for the Titans.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru counter with a new-ball attack led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has taken 26 wickets in 15 matches, including 15 dismissals in the powerplay.
>>> Women Face 60% Higher Crash Injury Risk, Study Finds
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood joins the bowling lineup with a career record of five victories in five previous T20 finals.
Gujarat's pace attack features Kagiso Rabada, who leads the race for the Purple Cap with 28 wickets, including 17 taken during the powerplay.
Mohammed Siraj has secured 13 of his 18 wickets in the same opening phase, creating immediate pressure for Virat Kohli, who leads Bengaluru with 600 runs.
Statistics indicate Royal Challengers Bengaluru have greater batting depth. Rajat Patidar scored 486 runs and Devdutt Padikkal added 463 runs this season.
Additional contributions came from Tim David (281), Krunal Pandya (225), Phil Salt (202), and Venkatesh Iyer (177).
Gujarat Titans show less middle-order consistency beyond their top three. Washington Sundar provided the next highest contribution of 327 runs and Rahul Tewatia scored 183 runs.
>>> Marta Kostyuk Stuns Iga Swiatek to Reach First Roland-Garros Quarterfinal
However, Gujarat have won six out of seven matches when their opening pair of Gill and Sudharsan remained at the crease past the fifth over.
