'They didn't just win, they made a statement' - Anil Kumble tips his hat to RCB after dominant victory over GT in Qualifier 1

Former India captain Anil Kumble was overly impressed by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) performance in their dominant victory over the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday, May 26. 

The former RCB spinner was impressed by the defending champion’s mindset to go out in the middle and take the playoff encounter like it is any other game. They did not let the occasion get the better of them, which was evident by their huge first innings score of 254. Captain Rajat Patidar was the star with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 93 at a strike-rate of 281.81. 

"After losing the toss, RCB put their best foot forward by posting a mammoth 254 on the board. Scoring that many runs is tough in any game but doing it in a playoff shows real character. The pitch was good for batting, but RCB's batters still had to go out and execute. They did that brilliantly with Rajat Patidar leading from the front and good contributions from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal,” Anil Kumble said on JioStar. 

Kumble also acknowledged RCB’s outstanding bowling effort, which restricted the Titans to just 162 in the second innings, to win the game by 92 runs. The former India head coach claims that the Royal Challengers had the perfect game against GT and established themselves as favourites to retain their IPL crown. 

“When RCB came out to bowl, they didn't let GT's openers settle. They bowled tight lines, kept the pressure on, and got an early breakthrough with the unfortunate dismissal of Sai Sudharsan. That wicket opened the door. From there, the RCB bowlers took complete control. It was a clinical performance from start to finish. Bowling, batting, fielding – everything clicked for RCB on the night. They didn't just win; they made a statement. That is the kind of performance you need in a knockout game,” Anil Kumble added. 

Anil Kumble hails Rajat Patidar's contribution in Dharamshala

Patidar’s outstanding innings against GT was arguably one of the finest displays of batting in the history of IPL playoffs. Kumble believes that such performances during crucial matches increase the level of respect a player gets in the dressing room. 

"A player earns the respect of his teammates when he performs in the big game. Rajat Patidar has done exactly that. This first qualifier was a massive game for RCB. Winning the first qualifier and going straight to the final gives you a huge advantage. Three or four days off allows players to recover mentally and physically. That is a luxury of winning the first qualifier. Rajat has done a terrific job as captain. But what stands out about RCB is that different players step up in different games," Anil Kumble said on JioStar

RCB will now have a four-day break before they take the field in Ahmedabad for the showpiece final. The defending champions will take on the winner of Qualifier 2, which will be played on Friday, May 29.