Gujarat Titans will enter the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad with the crowd, the geography and the comfort of familiarity behind them. Virender Sehwag, however, does not believe that automatically gives them the edge against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Speaking on Cricbuzz’s final preview show, Virender Sehwag called the title clash a “straight 50-50” contest and explained why GT’s home-ground factor may not work the way it usually does in league matches.
“The kind of cricket that RCB are playing, and have been playing, has been quite exceptional. According to me, it is a straight 50-50,” Sehwag said.
That assessment carries weight because the final is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, GT’s home venue. In normal circumstances, that would be a major talking point. Gujarat know the dimensions, the pace of the surface, the rhythm of the venue and the emotional pull of playing in front of a home crowd. But Sehwag pointed to one crucial difference: this is not a regular home match.
“This is GT’s home ground, but because it’s a final, they can’t make any pitch that they want, so they won’t get that advantage,” he said.
Sehwag explains why GT may not have full home comfort
Sehwag’s argument is simple. A final is run differently from a franchise’s regular home fixture. The pitch is prepared under central tournament supervision, which limits the kind of surface advantage a home team may otherwise expect.
“Since it’s a final, it will be the BCCI that will prepare the wicket, so it’s a level playing field,” Sehwag added.
That line gives the final its sharper tactical edge. GT may still have the venue behind them, but Sehwag believes they cannot rely on a surface tailored to their strengths. Against an RCB side arriving with momentum, balance and recent dominance over the same opposition, that removes one of the easiest pre-final assumptions.
RCB reached the final after hammering GT in Qualifier 1. Rajat Patidar’s side produced one of the most brutal playoff performances of the season, posting a massive total before their bowlers dismantled Gujarat’s chase. That result still hangs over the final because it showed how quickly GT can be forced out of their preferred tempo when their top order is disrupted early.
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For RCB, the final is also about proving that their run is not a one-season burst. They are defending champions, back in the title clash, and playing with the kind of structure that has made them difficult to break. Virat Kohli’s stability, Devdutt Padikkal’s tempo, Patidar’s middle-overs aggression and the finishing options behind them have given RCB a batting unit with several gears.
GT, however, recovered strongly after the Qualifier 1 defeat. Their response came through the exact formula that has defined their season: Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan at the top. Gill’s century in Qualifier 2 and Sudharsan’s fluent support gave Gujarat the platform they needed to move into another final.
Sehwag believes that the template has to return if GT are to get past RCB. “GT will have to play the kind of cricket they did in Qualifier 2 to get the better of RCB in the final,” he said.
That makes the opening phase the battlefield inside the battlefield. If Gill and Sudharsan survive RCB’s new-ball burst, GT can drag the final into familiar territory. If Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood or RCB’s support seamers strike early, Gujarat may again be pushed into damage control.
Sehwag’s prediction, then, is not a neutral line tossed into a preview. It is a warning. Ahmedabad may belong to Gujarat in the league stage, but the final belongs to whoever adjusts faster. RCB have already shown they can hurt GT. Gujarat have already shown they can recover from a punch.
On Sunday night, Sehwag’s “50-50” call will come down to whether GT can turn their home ground into a real advantage, or whether RCB’s form makes the venue irrelevant.