Drama of the highest stakes Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Reached the fever pitch at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. A blockbuster Qualifier 1 clash Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT)fans were treated to an absolute thriller right after the opening exchanges. After the GT captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field first on a track expected to offer early relief, the match delivered a viral headline moment that instantly turned the tide of the RCB attack.
Shubman Gill makes a sensational backward run to send Venkatesh Iyer packing
The capacity crowd in Dharamsala was stunned when GT captain Gill produced a moment of absolute game magic in the second half of the match. RCB opener Venkatesh Iyer He had gone with pure intent, separating his bowling attack from his first delivery. Facing the South African speedster Kagiso Rabada In the last ball of the second over, Iyer looked to continue his carnage by retreating towards the leg side, attempting a powerful shot over the offside.
However, Rabada hit the deck hard, a sharp, short shot that went wide. Sheer pace and movement caused the bat to spin violently in Iyer’s hands. Instead of clearing the boundary, the ball skidded across mid-on, rising into the night sky.
What seemed like a safe landing zone quickly turned into a masterclass in athletics. Stopping in the middle of the hour, Gill turned on his heel and retreated. Showing incredible spatial awareness, balance and judgment under the high ball, he covered huge ground for a superb slide, over-the-shoulder catch. The dismissal ended Iyer’s explosive 19-run cameo with a thunderbolt of three fours and a six off just 7 balls at a strike rate of 271.42. Rabada’s knock left RCB at 21/1, giving GT a huge sigh of relief.
We present the video:
SIX, annnd OUT! ☝️
🎥 Kagiso Rabada steps up to dismiss Venkatesh Iyer 🔥👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/9rs6u5obOw#TATAIPL | #Qualifier1 | #LastLeap | #RCBvGT | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/GzXmR4AtqS
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2026
Also READ: How Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fared in the IPL playoffs
RCB off to a flying start against GT in the Powerplay
Despite losing to Iyeri Gill’s brilliance on the field, Royal Challengers Bengaluru refused to take their foot off the accelerator. An early wicket could not stop RCB’s aggressive plan like a modern day legend Virat Kohli joined incredibly fluently Devdutt Padikkal. The pair systematically dismantled the GT bowling unit to ensure that RCB enjoyed a real flying start to the Powerplay.
RCB crossed the 50-run milestone in just 3.6 overs (24 balls). Kohli and Padikkal put on a 55-run partnership for the second wicket after just 26 deliveries. Padikkal reached 23 runs off just 11 balls, hitting five boundaries at a strike rate of 209.09. On the other hand, masterfully Kohli played the perfect foil to the aggressor, reaching an unbeaten 34 off 18 balls with four hits to the fence and one magnificent maximum.
When a strategic break was called at the end of the mandatory 6 over Powerplay, RCB posted a commanding 76/1 on the scoreboard, cruising at an astonishing current run rate of 12.66. While managing figures of 1/39 in 3 overs with teammate Rabada Muhammad Siraj Leaking 25 runs in his 2 overs without bounce. With the live forecast projection teasing 230 in the massive north, Gill’s Titans face a steep uphill climb to contain this sprawling Bengaluru batting pack.
Also READ: How Gujarat Titans (GT) fared in the IPL playoffs
