Gujarat Titans (GT) square off against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in match No. 42 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, April 30.
Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans find themselves at No. 5 in the standings. They have four wins and as many defeats after playing eight matches. The former champions are coming into this clash on the back of a comprehensive eight-wicket win against the Chennai Super Kings.
Meanwhile, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will move to the top of the table if they manage to beat the Titans on Thursday. The defending champions have six wins and two defeats from eight games. In their last match, they bowled out the Delhi Capitals for just 75 and won in 6.3 overs with nine wickets in hand.
Here are 3 player battles for GT vs RCB, Match 42 of IPL 2026:
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Sai Sudharsan
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in stellar form this season. Last year, he played second fiddle to Josh Hazlewood. However, the Indian seamer has been a cut above the rest of the RCB bowlers in IPL 2026. He has 14 wickets in eight matches at a mind-boggling average of 7.61.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan started the season slowly. It seemed as if the southpaw would have his first dismal season with the bat in the IPL. However, he has struck a purple patch in the last couple of games, registering scores of 100 (58) and 87 (46).
2. Josh Hazlewood vs Shubman Gill
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Shubman Gill has amassed 339 runs in seven innings at an average of 47.14 and a strike rate of 148.65. The Gujarat Titans’ skipper has already notched up three half-centuries. He will look to get his team off to another solid start alongside Sudharsan.
However, he will be up against an in-form Josh Hazlewood. The Australian seamer missed a few games early in the season while he was recuperating from injury. However, since his comeback, Hazlewood has been exemplary with the ball. In the last game, he won the Player of the Match award after bagging a four-for against the Delhi Capitals.
1. Kagiso Rabada vs Virat Kohli
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There was a notion in the cricket fraternity that Kagiso Rabada was no longer a threat in the shortest format after a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. However, Rabada has unlocked his A-game in the ongoing IPL. He has bagged 13 wickets in eight games at an average of 9.48. The South African seamer has bowled at great speeds, which is a sign that he is in remarkable rhythm.
Virat Kohli is once again in the race for the Orange Cap. In eight innings, he has amassed 351 runs at an average of 58.50 and a strike rate of 162.50. It is great to see him playing his shots from the get-go and putting the bowlers under pressure. His consistency, even while playing an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket, has been magnificent.
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