Holders RCB hope to spoil Gujarat’s Ahmedabad party

Hosts and holders both will pin hopes on top-order batting and their new-ball pairs in the IPL final

- Sanjjeev K Samyal

Only a few days ago, Gujarat Titans felt the full force of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s all-round might in their Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 playoff game.

But that was in Dharamsala, and if there is one venue where the Shubman Gill-led side would like to play in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all match, it is Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

It sets the stage for a dream final on Sunday — defending champions RCB versus hosts GT, the two form sides of the tournament and the top two finishers of the league table. Their 92-run victory in Dharamsala means RCB outplayed and outthought Titans. However, expect the Ashish Nehra-coached side to have learnt their lessons and come up with a fitting response in their second contest in six days. Taking on GT on home turf presents an entirely different challenge. They have turned the Motera stadium into a fortress. GT won five of their seven league games in Ahmedabad, including a four-wicket win over RCB. Their maiden IPL title in 2022 also came there. Overall, they have won 15 of their 22 matches in Ahmedabad.