RCB return to title turf as GT face another batting-depth test

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a recent and rather specific fondness for Pitch No. 6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was on this very strip that the side finally ended their long wait for an IPL title in 2025. Gujarat Titans, too, have found success here: they chased down 180 against Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this season, albeit in the final over, and had overhauled a 204-run target against Delhi Capitals at this venue last year.

"We're playing on the pitch six, which is a 75% red soil. It's the same strip that we played the final on last year. And it usually plays very well, that strip. So we'd anticipate it playing very well again," said RCB head coach Andy Flower on the eve of the contest.

The pitch, though, is only one part of a broader contrast. RCB arrive with a more complete batting unit, sitting second on the table with six wins from eight games. GT, meanwhile, have oscillated between extremes, splitting their eight matches evenly. The gap is reflected in their scoring patterns too: RCB's 90 sixes are the second-most this season, while GT's 55 is joint-lowest.

There are some similarities too. RCB's seamers lead the league in Powerplay wickets with 17, with GT not far behind at 13. Kagiso Rabada has been central to that early impact with nine wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar has seven for RCB. Both sides also deploy a wrist-spin and left-arm spin combination, adding a layer of symmetry to otherwise contrasting line-ups.

Ultimately, though, the game may hinge on the depth of RCB's batting and how well GT can disrupt it across phases. At the Chinnaswamy stadium a few days back, that very difference allowed RCB to chase down 205 with relative comfort. "There is obviously a lot of talk about playing a different brand of cricket, but we are comfortable with our approach," said Parthiv Patel. Whether that approach can hold against a more rounded RCB unit is the more pressing question.

What to expect: While the pitch should be good for batting, it is unlikely to be overwhelmingly in the batters' favour. A total in the 190-200 range should make for a well-contested game.

Head to head: RCB have a 4-3 lead over GT in matches played against them, including a win in the only game between these two sides in Ahmedabad. All seven previous encounters between these two sides ended with the chasing team winning.

Tactics and Matchups: Bhuvneshwar Kumar has a good match-up against Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill, having dismissed them eight times and four times respectively. Gill has also been dismissed by Jos Hazlewood twice in six innings, and the Australian has accounted for Sai Sudharsan twice in as many innings too, making RCB's new-ball bowlers vs GT's top three an engrossing contest.

"As far as preparation is concerned, I can definitely tell you that we make sure that they are well prepared. We have those facilities here where we can do our open nets and stuff like we had that session yesterday with our lower middle order or our middle order. So we try and give them as much (time) as possible. We have full faith in them and we are making sure that they are ready for the important games and hopefully if the situation comes around, they should be able to deliver." - Parthiv Patel, GT assistant coach, on the middle order.

"Obviously things came together so quickly and so well that the game was over in the blink of an eye. So it was great to watch those two great bowlers bowl, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood, and then obviously we had an easy small chase so the game was over quite quickly. And I think, to be honest, you've got to treat the wins and losses with a fair degree of equanimity because with losses you don't want to get too down and the same principles apply to wins. So I don't think it's a huge challenge, to be honest." - Andy Flower, RCB head coach, on the game against DC.

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