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The stage was set, the atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium was electric, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clashed with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the highly anticipated IPL 2026 Final on Sunday. After winning the toss and electing to field, RCB’s designated home game, which had been strategically shifted to Ahmedabad, got off to a flyer, fuelled by a moment of pure fielding genius that left fans and commentators absolutely stunned.
Jitesh Sharma dazzles with a breathtaking catch to dismiss Sai Sudharsan in IPL 2026 Final
The defining visual of the early powerplay arrived in the fourth over, courtesy of some brilliant bowling by veteran speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar and absolute athleticism from wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
On the fourth delivery of the over (3.4 overs), Bhuvneshwar Kumar executed a perfectly directed bouncer at 138.6 kmph, banging it short and outside the off stump. Gujarat’s star young batter, B Sai Sudharsan, was lured into a false shot, attempting to fetch the ball from well outside his comfort zone.
The resulting top-edge ballooned high into the night sky toward the short fine-leg region. Showing immense composure and spatial awareness, Jitesh Sharma turned and sprinted backward, tracking the high ball perfectly before executing a spectacular catch. Sudharsan was sent packing for a patient 12 off 12 balls, leaving Gujarat Titans in a spot of early bother at 26 for the loss of two wickets, while Bhuvneshwar registered stellar early figures of 1/21.
Here’s the video:
2️⃣ massive wickets. 1️⃣ dream start! 💥
What a start for #RCB in Ahmedabad 🔥
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Yz6K3q6w0X#TATAIPL | #Final | #TheFinalLeap | #RCBvGT | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/loIvgOBVc4
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 31, 2026
Also WATCH: Rajat Patidar takes a sensational running catch to remove Shubman Gill during IPL 2026 Final
Gujarat Titans rocked by early batting meltdown versus RCB
Sudharsan’s dismissal was just one chapter in a larger narrative of an early batting collapse for the Gujarat Titans, who found themselves thoroughly choked by a disciplined RCB bowling unit. GT skipper Shubman Gill was the first to fall, lasting only 8 balls for his 10 runs before chipping a delivery from Josh Hazlewood straight to Rajat Patidar in the third over (2.2 overs).
The bleeding didn’t stop there. Nishant Sindhu showed a brief flash of resistance, scoring 20 runs off 18 deliveries, but his stay was cut short in the eighth over when he fell to Rasikh Salam, caught by Devdutt Padikkal.
The pressure proved immense even for the experienced Jos Buttler. The wicketkeeper-batter laboured to a heavily constrained 19 off 23 balls, failing to find any boundaries before being brilliantly stumped by the hyper-active Jitesh Sharma off Krunal Pandya‘s bowling at 12.1 overs.
When Arshad Khan played a brief cameo of 15 runs from just 6 balls before becoming Hazlewood’s second victim at 14.1 overs, GT slumped to a miserable 99 for 5. By the 15 over mark, Gujarat Titans were crawling at a current run rate of 6.92, with Washington Sundar remaining unbeaten on a gritty 23 off 22 balls alongside Rahul Tewatia. RCB’s bowling unit remained relentless, with Hazlewood picking up 2 wickets for 21 runs in his 3 overs, and Pandya choking the middle order with figures of 1 for 23 across his full 4-over quota.
Also READ: What happens if RCB vs GT IPL 2026 final gets washed out due to rain in Ahmedabad?
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com
