25 May,2026 08:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rajat Patidar (Pic: X/@RCBTweets)
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are all set to lock horns with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 play-off 1 on May 26. The match will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.
Ahead of the match, RCB's skipper Rajat Patidar said that the season has been a tough one for bowlers, following the 200-plus totals in most of the matches.
"I feel it is more challenging for the bowlers. The wickets are batting friendly, boundaries are smaller and there is dew as well. Especially for fast bowlers, even a small mistake goes for six," he said during the pre-match media interaction.
"But whatever wicket or conditions we get, we just try to do our best on that. It is not in my hands to decide how the wickets should be," added Patidar.
When asked about the tournament's final match being shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad, the 32-year-old cricketer said that the decision is not in his control.
"It's not in my control. This is a historic site, so wherever the final is going to be, that's where it is going to be. We are focused on reaching the final," he said.
He also stated that the team that executes its plans well on Tuesday will emerge victorious.
"Both teams have done pretty well throughout the season. On the given day, whichever team executes its plans better and stays calm under pressure, is going to win," said Patidar.
RCB's star opening batsman Phil Salt has returned to the camp after recovering from an injured finger. When asked about his availability for the game, the skipper said that the management is yet to finalise the playing XI.
"He is fit and doing drills but we have not decided the playing XI yet," he said.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Gujarat Titans: Ishant Sharma, Jos Buttler (WK), Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Tewatia, Luke Wood, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Shubman Gill (C), Tom Banton (WK), Yarra Raj, Anuj Rawat, Sai Sudharsan, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Arshad Khan, Nishant Sandhu, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma.
(With PTI Inputs)
