IPL 2026 | Match 34: RCB vs GT | Preview and Predictions

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) will look to bounce back from defeats in their previous respective encounters as they square off in Match 34 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

This is set to be a fascinating contest between RCB’s formidable batting might and GT’s well-balanced bowling attack. Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.

Indian Premier League 2026 | Match 34: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans | 19:30 IST, 24 April 2026

The defending champions were stopped in their tracks by the Delhi Capitals in a thriller last time out that went to the last ball. While the scorecard will tell you that it was a close game, with a little digging you’ll find that it was not as close as it panned out to be.

RCB could and should have iced the game in their favour. Skipper Rajat Patidar’s gamble of bowling out Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood by the 19th over in search of wickets did not work out, which meant that the onus of bowling the final over fell on the shoulders of Romario Shepherd, who, with all due respect to him, is not exactly cut out for these kinds of situations. 

With the bat, RCB otherwise-formidable batting order could not come to terms with the sticky nature of the wicket. Jitesh Sharma, in particular, struggled mightily in his time out in the middle, which in turn put a lot of pressure on his partners, who eventually perished playing the big shots while Sharma continued to chew up deliveries on the other end.

The Royal Challengers have been sensational with the ball, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood acquitting themselves rather beautifully and ably supported by the uncanny and unorthodox spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. Rasikh Dar adds a layer of dependability as well, making RCB a formidable prospect with the ball.

The Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, have been brought back to earth after the shellacking they received at home against the Mumbai Indians. Their biggest weakness was brutally exploited as their vaunted top three failed collectively, exposing the soft underbelly of the middle order, which was then taken apart piece by piece by the MI bowlers.

The way the GT middle order folded will definitely raise big concerns in the think tank. Glenn Phillips has been short of runs and thoroughly underwhelming with the bat. Washington Sundar has shown glimpses but has been unable to convert those starts into meaningful knocks. Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan have been perennial underperformers with the bat, having been unable to make any sort of impact over the past couple of seasons.

While the GT bowlers have been more or less holding their own in games, they will obviously want the batters to fire in unison. GT cannot afford to be top-heavy in a tournament where every player in the batting unit is expected to contribute to the cause.

Both sides need a win here in order to bolster their chances of a top-two finish, though GT need the win here more than RCB.

That said, the defending champions remain our favourites to win the contest given the balance they boast in their batting and bowling line-ups as compared to Shubman Gill and Co. Given that both these sides have been part of high-scoring encounters more often than not, it will definitely be a tantalising contest.

Fantasy XI: Phil Salt (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Jos Buttler (wk), Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Rashid Khan, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kagiso Rabada

Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Winners Prediction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru