Amid the ongoing high-stakes Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026 at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala, GT skipper Shubman Gill took a blinder to dismiss RCB batter Venkatesh Iyer, who came to open the batting alongside Virat Kohli.
Iyer, who was looking dangerous after smashing three boundaries in the first over of the match, bowled by Mohammed Siraj, failed to live up to the expectation in the highly crucial encounter, which could pave the way for RCB to the IPL 2026 Finals.
Here is the Video:
SIX, annnd OUT! ☝️
🎥 Kagiso Rabada cranks up the pace to dismiss Venkatesh Iyer 🔥👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/9rs6u5obOw#TATAIPL | #Qualifier1 | #TheFinalLeap | #RCBvGT | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/GzXmR4AtqS
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2026
RCB vs GT Playing XI and Impact Players: IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
GT: Kumar Kushagra, Rahul Tewatia, Glenn Phillips, R Sai Kishore, Anuj Rawat
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Jacob Duffy
Gujarat Titans Opt To Bowl First In High-Stakes Dharamshala Playoff Clash
It was GT captain Shubman Gill who had the final say at the coin toss and opted to bowl first against table-topping defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the cool glow of the floodlights at the HPCA Stadium. Elaborating on his decision at the toss, the young skipper insisted that the all too important dew factor that dominates the evenings, coupled with the sharp and chilly mountain air, would make chasing much safer and also worthwhile on this batting paradise.
Hoping to choke the opposition on a batting inclined wicket and looking to utilise the conditions to their benefit, the GT made one tactical change to the playing combination by bringing in Indian left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya to add more variety to their bowling options. On the other hand, the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru trooped onto the field with a stable and formidable batting lineup, banking on their much-feared top-order to score a huge total in this must-win match.
