Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) produced a dominant performance to defeat Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in the IPL 2026 final and successfully retain their crown. While Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 and a disciplined bowling display grabbed the headlines, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the match was effectively decided much earlier in the evening.

Speaking after the final, Harbhajan pointed to a crucial moment during Gujarat Titans’ innings that he felt shifted the contest heavily in RCB’s favour. The former off-spinner explained why that dismissal had a significant impact on the outcome of the title clash in Ahmedabad.

Harbhajan Singh identifies biggest moment of IPL 2026 final

During a discussion on JioHotstar, Harbhajan was asked about the importance of Shubman Gill’s dismissal in the IPL 2026 final. The former India spinner did not hesitate in describing it as the biggest breakthrough of the match for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

“It was a massive wicket. The best thing that happened for RCB in this game was this because him getting out meant half the game was in their bag. He was the main batter who was consistently scoring runs, and he could have hit any bowler. He had won his team the game single-handedly with the previous inning he played,” he stated.

Gill arrived in the final after enjoying another outstanding IPL campaign and was expected to play a major role in Gujarat Titans’ quest for a second title. However, the GT captain managed only 10 runs from eight deliveries before mistiming a Josh Hazlewood delivery and offering a catch to Rajat Patidar.

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Early setbacks left Gujarat Titans under pressure

Harbhajan also suggested that Gill might have been slightly rushed in his approach, considering Gujarat Titans were batting first in a high-pressure final. According to the former spinner, the wicket not only boosted RCB but also dealt a major blow to Gujarat’s plans.

“He would think that he could have probably delayed that shot. While batting first, at times, it’s on your mind how many runs are needed, and that the team against them is RCB, who have a lot of batting. I feel he was slightly hasty. It was a massive moment for RCB, but this was the worst moment for GT today, and then Sai Sudharsan’s wicket falling in the first six overs,” Harbhajan said.

Gujarat Titans’ troubles deepened shortly after Gill’s departure when Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for 12 off 12 balls. The left-hander attempted a pull shot against Bhuvneshwar Kumar but could only sky the ball to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. The twin setbacks left Gujarat Titans struggling at 26/2 inside the powerplay, preventing them from building the strong platform that had become a hallmark of their batting throughout the season.