Rajat Patidar records created in the RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Qualifier 1

Thanks to captain Rajat Patidar's destructive innings of 93 runs off just 33 balls, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated the Gujarat Titans by 92 runs in Qualifier 1, played in Dharamsala on Tuesday, to reach the IPL 2026 final for the second consecutive time and the fifth time overall. Thanks to Patidar's magnificent batting, RCB—after being invited to bat first—posted a mammoth total of 254 runs in 20 overs, marking the highest total ever recorded in the history of IPL playoffs. Chasing this mountainous target, Shubman Gill & Co. were bundled out for a mere 162 runs.

Patidar set a new record during his innings by unleashing a flurry of fours and sixes. He struck a total of 5 fours and 9 sixes in his knock, taking his tally of sixes in IPL 2026 to 41. Patidar now holds the record for the highest number of sixes hit by a captain in any T20 tournament. Those nine sixes by Patidar took his tally to 41 maximums in IPL 2026, surpassing the previous record held by Riyan Parag. The latter had smashed 40 maximums while leading Assam in the 2023–24 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In the IPL specifically, this record was previously held by Shreyas Iyer, who hit 39 sixes while captaining the Punjab Kings last season—a campaign in which his team finished as runners-up. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli sits at number 3 on the list with 38 sixes—a feat he achieved while captaining RCB during the 2016 IPL season. Kohli had amassed 973 runs that season, a record that remains the highest run tally by any batter in a single edition of the IPL.

At the same time, Patidar finished with an impressive strike rate of 281.82—the highest by any batter in an IPL innings of 90 runs or more. The previous record was held by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, set when the teenager smashed 103 off just 37 balls—also the second-fastest century in the IPL.

Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, RCB is playing its second consecutive final. Having secured their maiden title last year, RCB will have the opportunity to win two consecutive titles on May 31st. Previously, this feat has been achieved by the Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and Mumbai (2019 and 2020). This will be RCB’s fifth final appearance in IPL history. Before this, they have played IPL finals in 2009 vs Deccan Chargers, 2011 vs Chennai Super Kings, 2016 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, and 2025 vs Punjab Kings.