Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium: After 70 high-intensity league stage mathes, IPL 2026 now enters its decisive phase as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and 2022 winner Gujarat Titans (GT), two top teams in the standings, will lock in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday in Dharamshala with a direct berth in the final at stake.
As per the IPL format, the top two teams in the standings qualify for Qualifier 1, and the winner of the match will directly enter the final, while the losing team will get another opportunity through Qualifier 2.
RCB and GT finished first and second in the points table, respectively, with 18 points each and separated only by net run rate. They have tied 1-1 head-to-head this season and 4-4 overall.