Gujarat Titans host Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 Final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday, 31 May — toss at 7:00 PM IST, first ball at 7:30 PM IST. Defending champions RCB, who crushed GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1, walk in as favourites. GT return home unbowed after fighting through Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals on May 29. Here’s everything you need — squads, predicted XIs, pitch report, weather, live streaming details, and the prediction.
IPL 2026 Final — Quick Answer
GT vs RCB, IPL 2026 Final · 31 May 2026 · Toss 7:00 PM IST · First ball 7:30 PM IST · Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Prediction: RCB edge it — their batting depth and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s powerplay swing are too much for any attack to contain for 20 overs. Toss call: Chase. Dew point rising to 23°C by 10 PM makes life miserable for second-innings spinners. Watch on: JioHotstar (streaming) · Star Sports 1 / Star Sports 1 Hindi (TV). हिन्दी: जीटी बनाम आरसीबी आईपीएल 2026 फाइनल आज रात 7:30 बजे अहमदाबाद में — जियोहॉटस्टार पर लाइव स्ट्रीमिंग।
IPL 2026 Final: Match Info, Streaming & Tickets
The IPL 2026 Final is the fourth time Ahmedabad stages the tournament’s title match in five seasons — the BCCI shifted it from M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, after a dispute with the local association. Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket ground with 1,32,000 seats, opens its gates at 4:30 PM IST. Tickets start at ₹1,000 (general stands) and go past ₹60,000 for hospitality boxes; they’re available via the District app.
How to watch IPL 2026 Final live: TV broadcast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and Star Sports 1 Kannada. Live streaming on JioHotstar (app and website). International viewers can catch it on Sky Sports (UK), Willow TV / Fubo (USA & Canada), and ATN Network (Canada). PVR INOX is also screening the final live across 55 cinema screens in cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Ahmedabad.
Form Guide — Into the Final
RCB — Defending Champions
- League stage: 9W–5L, 18 points, NRR +0.783 — table-toppers
- Qualifier 1 (May 26): beat GT by 92 runs — Patidar 93*(33), RCB posted 254/5
- Key wins: CSK away (twice), PBKS chased down 225
- X-factor: Virat Kohli — 600 runs at SR 164.38, first batter to hit 600+ in four straight IPL seasons
GT — Back Through Qualifier 2
- League stage: finished in top four; home record at NM Stadium — 15W from 27 games
- Qualifier 2 (May 29): beat RR by 7 wickets, Gill’s batting anchored the chase
- Key wins: CSK, SRH (4-match winning streak mid-season)
- X-factor: Kagiso Rabada — 28 wickets, current Purple Cap holder, took it from Bhuvneshwar on May 29
Head-to-Head Snapshot
Sunday’s clash is the 10th meeting between RCB and GT. RCB lead the head-to-head 5–4, and the Qualifier 1 result on May 26 was the most one-sided margin yet in this rivalry — RCB’s 254 for 5 is the highest total ever posted in an IPL playoffs match. All nine previous meetings have had a result; no washouts between these two. Last season GT won a close league encounter; RCB took the rematch by five wickets, chasing 206. The pattern suggests neither side allows the other to settle — this one should be decided in the death overs.
Pitch Report — Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The Narendra Modi Stadium is a batting-friendly surface at its core — true bounce, excellent carry, and a fast outfield. Square boundaries measure 60–72 metres, straight around 70–75 metres, so it’s not a small ground, but clean hitters still score freely. In IPL 2026, the surface has slowed slightly from its early-season pace: the average first-innings total has settled to around 160–165, down from the 200+ totals of April. Spinners — particularly those bowling through the middle overs — are getting some grip from the black-soil patches. The outfield, however, remains quick, rewarding placement as much as power. GT’s home record here stands at 15 wins from 27 games, a solid but not dominant advantage. Evening dew (dew point hitting 23°C tonight) will be the real story — the ball will skid on beautifully for the team batting second, while spinners lose grip from around the 14th over onwards. The toss winner will bowl first.
Weather — Ahmedabad, 31 May
No rain threat. Isolated pre-monsoon thunderstorm risk remains, but precipitation is forecast at 0% for match time. Temperatures drop from a daytime high of 41°C to around 30°C at toss, cooling further through the innings. The bigger number is the dew point: rising to 23°C by 10 PM IST, which means heavy outfield dew from roughly the 12th over of the second innings. Humidity builds steadily after sunset. For fantasy players: second-innings spinners (Rashid Khan, Krunal Pandya) will bowl fewer dot balls than their season average; adjust accordingly. Check our Dream11 Final preview for a full fantasy breakdown.
Probable Playing XIs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar.
Phil Salt remains unavailable (injury). RCB are likely to retain the exact XI that posted 254 in Qualifier 1.
Gujarat Titans (GT)
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Prasidh Krishna is the twelfth man in contention for the pace spot. GT may tweak their batting order, pushing Buttler up to counter RCB’s swing in the powerplay.
Key Matchups to Watch
📊 The Stat That Could Decide It
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Shubman Gill in overs 1–6. Bhuvneshwar has taken 26 wickets this season at an economy of 8.00 — but his real value is the powerplay, where his shape and swing have produced the most wickets of any pacer in IPL 2026. Gill is GT’s backbone: he scored a match-winning 70+ in Qualifier 2. If Bhuvneshwar removes Gill inside six overs, GT’s top order collapses — their middle order (Sindhu, Sundar, Holder) hasn’t posted a 150+ partnership in any game this season. That single over-by-over battle may decide whether GT post 165 or 185. The difference matters enormously given RCB’s batting depth. Rabada (28 wickets) vs Virat Kohli is the batting counterpart — Kohli’s 600-run, 164 SR season has been built on powerplay dominance. Whoever wins those first six overs likely wins the match.
RCB win, and I’m not hedging much on this one. The Qualifier 1 scoreline (254 vs 162) was extreme — GT looked genuinely broken in Dharamsala — but the reason I still back RCB at their own ground is simpler: they have too many ways to win. Their bowling attack is balanced at every phase. Bhuvneshwar with the new ball, Hazlewood and Duffy in the middle, Rasikh and Krunal at death — there’s no obvious over where GT can explode. RCB’s batting goes six-deep without needing Tim David to do anything heroic. GT, in contrast, lean heavily on Gill and Sudharsan getting starts and Rashid Khan drying up the middle. Dew negates Rashid’s advantage in the second innings, which is exactly when GT need him most.
The one scenario that swings this for GT: Rabada removes Kohli and Padikkal inside four overs, Siraj holds RCB to 155–160, and Gill plays the innings of his life chasing. Gill at Ahmedabad averages above 54 in IPL — this is his fortress, and 132,000 home fans will be deafening. That scenario is not fantasy. But it’s the narrow path. I’m going with RCB to defend the title. Check the IPL 2026 points table and playoff picture for full context on how both sides got here.
IPL 2026 Final — FAQs
What time does the IPL 2026 Final start?
The IPL 2026 Final between GT and RCB starts at 7:30 PM IST on Sunday, 31 May 2026, at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The toss takes place at 7:00 PM IST. Stadium gates open at 4:30 PM IST.
Where can I watch the IPL 2026 Final live?
Live streaming on JioHotstar (app and website) in India. TV broadcast on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and Star Sports 1 Kannada. UK viewers: Sky Sports. USA/Canada: Willow TV or Fubo. PVR INOX cinemas across 55 screens in India also screen the final live.
What is the head-to-head record between RCB and GT?
RCB lead GT 5–4 across nine meetings before the IPL 2026 Final. All nine matches have produced results — no washouts. The most recent contest was Qualifier 1 on 26 May 2026, where RCB won by 92 runs at HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala.
What is the pitch like at Narendra Modi Stadium for the IPL 2026 Final?
The Narendra Modi Stadium pitch is batting-friendly with true bounce and a fast outfield. In IPL 2026, first-innings averages have settled around 160–165. Evening dew builds significantly from the 12th over of the second innings, typically favouring the chasing team. The toss winner is widely expected to bowl first.
Who will win the IPL 2026 Final — GT or RCB?
RCB are favourites based on form, batting depth, and their 92-run demolition of GT in Qualifier 1. However, GT’s home ground advantage at Ahmedabad — where they’ve won 15 of 27 IPL games — and Shubman Gill’s exceptional record at the venue (54+ average, three hundreds in Ahmedabad) make them dangerous. Both teams are evenly matched on paper; conditions and the toss will play a part.
Bottom Line
The IPL 2026 Final pits a relentless, title-defending RCB side against a Gujarat Titans team playing at home in front of the world’s largest cricket crowd. RCB’s 92-run Qualifier 1 win was a statement, but GT are a different proposition on the Ahmedabad surface — Shubman Gill has made this ground his own. The pitch conditions and evening dew favour the chasing side, so expect the toss winner to field; after that, watch the powerplay battle between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Gill — that six-over contest will set the tone for everything that follows. RCB are the smarter pick, but this will go deep.
Disclaimer: Match predictions are based on current form, historical data, and venue conditions at the time of publication. Actual results may differ significantly. IPL Daily does not promote or facilitate betting of any kind. Please enjoy the game responsibly.
