As Ahmedabad geared up to host the final match of the 2026 IPL season, former India captain and former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly made headlines when he arrived in the city before the eagerly awaited clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). As the stadium was packed with fans and some of the biggest stars in cricket arrived for the season-finale event, Ganguly’s arrival was certainly not ignored. When asked to name the winner of the game, the former Indian captain refused to do so, asserting that a final is won only through performance on the field.
Ganguly continued his analysis of the highly anticipated final match and stated that no prior performances would matter come the time of the match.
Ex-BCCI President is hopeful for a good final as he commented, “You can’t predict which team wins the final. The team that plays the best on the day will win.”
He made this comment despite the impressive display put up by RCB against GT in Qualifier 1. This final match has special significance for him because during his stint as President of BCCI, Ganguly was involved in the redevelopment of the Narendra Modi Stadium.
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Why the IPL 2026 Final Is Difficult to Predict
Battle for the second title
For both teams, winning the final means claiming their second IPL cup, making it all the more important for them. RCB is defending their title having secured their place in the final by virtue of their emphatic 92-run win over GT in Qualifier 1. They are also the team that registered the highest total ever achieved in an IPL playoff game after scoring a massive 254 runs in the Qualifier 1 match. One of the key strengths that have contributed to the success of this team has been their potent batting order which consists of players like Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal and Venkatesh Iyer. Leadership skills provided by their skipper, Patidar, who leads his team to success by winning 20 out of 30 matches they play in the IPL with a win rate of 66.66%.
GT, on the other hand, showed great resilience following their loss in the previous match. The side led by Shubman Gill managed to qualify for the final by achieving the highest-ever chase of 215 in an IPL playoff match when they chased down 215 against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Shubman Gill, whose captaincy record includes 24 wins in 42 matches.
Key match-ups of the final
There can be several individual matchups that may help decide the result of the final itself. Starting with GT, the clash between Shubman Gill and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is definitely one of them. The veteran pacer from RCB has dismissed Shubman for 80 runs five times in 13 innings. Moreover, Josh Hazlewood has taken his wicket twice in seven encounters. Also, Jos Buttler vs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar matchup can prove to be decisive for the finalists, with the Indian speedster having dismissed him nine times in 20 innings. On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan is getting good results against many of the RCB bowlers, but he was dismissed twice by Hazlewood in two innings.
On the contrary, for RCB, it can all come down to the showdowns like Virat Kohli vs. GT pace bowlers. Firstly, Kagiso Rabada has dismissed him five times in 16 innings, and secondly, Prasidh Krishna has sent his stumps down three times in eight matches. Moreover, Devdutt Padikkal vs. Rashid Khan is going to be an interesting one as well.
