Royal Challengers Bengaluru went all out, racking up 254 runs in the first innings against Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. That’s not just a big number—it’s the biggest team total ever in IPL playoffs. Gujarat used to hold that record with 233 runs from last year’s Qualifier 2, but Bengaluru blew it apart thanks to a monster innings from their captain, Rajat Patidar.
Patidar, 32, kept things steady at first. RCB had just lost Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, both gone in the ninth over, so you could feel a bit of pressure. But once Patidar settled in, he cut loose and was simply unstoppable. He finished unbeaten on 93 from only 33 balls, smashing everything at a wild strike rate of 281.82. You have to think the India selectors are paying attention—he’s showing he’s ready for bigger challenges.
RCB didn’t just put up runs, they also hammered 38 boundaries. That’s the most in IPL playoff history. The previous best was Chennai Super Kings with 33 way back in 2012, but Bengaluru left that behind.
Gujarat really had a tough night out in the field. Sure, Shubman Gill pulled off a brilliant catch to get rid of Venkatesh Iyer early, which looked promising. Kohli and Padikkal pushed Gujarat a bit, but when Jason Holder sent both back, Gujarat had the chance to slow things down. They managed that for a bit, but then dropped catches crept in and made it worse.
Krunal Pandya, who stood by Patidar when RCB were wobbling, got dropped twice—big mistakes. That let RCB claw back, and Krunal threw in a solid 43 from 28 balls. With his support, Patidar could go for it, dominating the later overs and driving Bengaluru to a score that feels like way too much for GT to chase down.
