Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Krunal Pandya provided a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Gujarat Titans (GT) batter Jos Buttler in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31. The left-arm spinner deceived Buttler, and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma swiftly removed the bails to end the Englishman’s innings for 19 off 23 deliveries after a sluggish stay at the crease.
The dismissal came on the opening ball of the 12th over of GT’s innings. Buttler charged down the pitch, but Pandya fired in a wide yorker that beat him completely. Jitesh was quick to complete the stumping, leaving Buttler stranded outside his crease with no chance of making it back. Krunal celebrated passionately after claiming the wicket, with GT already reeling after losing captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan inside the powerplay.
Watch Jos Buttler’s dismissal below:
The Man of Finals doing what he does best! 🫡
Krunal Pandya outsmarts Jos Buttler and #RCB are roaring 🔥
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Yz6K3q6w0X#TATAIPL | #Final | #TheFinalLeap | #RCBvGT pic.twitter.com/L3UkTRyhBg
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 31, 2026
Jos Buttler struggled to make a significant impact against RCB during the IPL 2026 season. The wicketkeeper-batter managed scores of 25 off 16 balls, 39 off 19, 29 off 11, and 19 off 23 in the final. Despite his modest returns against Bengaluru, Buttler enjoyed a productive campaign overall, amassing 526 runs in 17 matches, including four half-centuries.
RCB Tighten Their Grip as GT Slip to 99/5 in IPL 2026 Final
A disciplined bowling effort has put Rajat Patidar’s RCB firmly in control of the IPL 2026 final against GT. Josh Hazlewood set the tone by dismissing captain Shubman Gill for 10 off 8 balls, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Sai Sudharsan for a modest 12 off 12 deliveries. Rasikh Salam then struck to send back Nishant Sindhu for 20 off 18 balls.
Krunal Pandya added to GT’s woes by claiming the key wicket of Jos Buttler, while Hazlewood picked up his second scalp by dismissing the aggressive Arshad Khan for 15 off just six deliveries. At the time of writing, GT were struggling at 105/5 after 15 overs, with Rahul Tewatia and Washington Sundar trying to rebuild the innings.
The defending champions will now aim to complete a third victory over GT in IPL 2026 and retain the title. However, GT have previously shown their ability to trouble RCB, having bowled them out for 155 at the same venue during the league stage before securing a six-wicket win.
If they are to make a comeback in the final, their bowlers will need to produce a similarly impressive performance against the Bengaluru batting lineup.
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