The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2026 on Tuesday, May 26, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
The defending champions finished on top of the table with 18 points from 14 games. They come off a defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a dead rubber contest, which did not significantly deter their playoff places. They will be looking to seal their place in the final early with a victory, which would give them time to regroup before the big clash. They have faced the Titans twice this season, winning once and losing once.
Here is RCB’s strongest predicted XI for Qualifier vs GT:
Top order: Venkatesh Iyer/Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal
Virat Kohli has once again been the defending champions’ most prolific batter in the season. The talismanic batter has scored 557 runs at a strike rate of 163.82. He has altered his template to go after the bowling from the get-go and is striking at 165.3 in the first six overs, the highest of his storied IPL career. He has notched up four half-centuries and one century this season. Who partners with him on the day is still up for debate. Venkatesh Iyer has reliably filled in for RCB and scored a blistering 19-ball 44 at the top of the order against SRH. He will be expected to keep the slot, provided Phil Salt has yet to be cleared to play. Salt has scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 168.33, but has missed the latter half of the season with a finger injury.
Devdutt Padikkal has been one of the most improved players in IPL 2026. The hometown southpaw has scored 433 runs at a blistering strike rate of 171.82, having improved his game against pace and spin considerably. He has looked in great touch all season, with beautiful stroke play and has dominated spinners and pacers alike. He has scored three half-centuries and has been a consistent presence at number 3.