IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Match Preview Odds & Predictions

Match 71 of the Indian Premier League will see the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, May 24. The highly anticipated encounter will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Preview

Royal Challengers Bengaluru wrapped up the league stage of the IPL season in strong fashion, finishing top of the table after winning nine of their 14 matches. The defending champions now turn their attention to Qualifier 1, where a win would secure them a direct spot in the IPL 2026 final. They will also be looking to respond after a disappointing defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league-stage outing. Virat Kohli has once again been central to RCB’s success, leading the batting charts with 557 runs from 14 innings and providing stability at the top of the order throughout the campaign.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI

Venkatesh Iyer/Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar.

Gujarat Titans Preview

Gujarat Titans head into the playoffs in strong form after a dominant run in the second half of the season, winning six of their last seven matches. Their consistency throughout the campaign saw them finish second on the points table with 18 points from 14 games, securing a solid position heading into the knockout stage. The Titans closed out their league campaign in style with a commanding 89-run victory over Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, reinforcing their momentum at the perfect time. With the bat, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill have been in exceptional form, sitting first and second, respectively, in the Orange Cap race with 638 and 616 runs.

Gujarat Titans XI:

KL Rahul(wk), Abishek Porel, Sahil Parakh, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel(c), Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans Prediction

Both sides finished the group stage with identical records, and their head-to-head meetings this season have been evenly split, with each team winning one game apiece. That balance makes this Qualifier 1 clash a tough one to call, with very little separating them on paper. Sai Sudharsan, however, stands out as a key figure who could influence the outcome. The Gujarat Titans opener has been in outstanding form throughout the tournament and currently leads the run-scoring charts with 638 runs. Given his consistency at the top of the order, a strong individual performance is expected once again, and he looks well placed to surpass 30.5 runs in this crucial knockout encounter.