Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill [Source: AFP]Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered their third defeat of IPL 2026 season after failing to defend a total of 156 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday, April 30, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. As a result, GT captain Shubman Gill pointed towards Virat Kohli’s innings as a key turning point in the match.RCB struggle with the batTo begin with, Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to bowl first. The pitch had a bit of grass on it, and therefore, GT’s bowlers used the conditions very well. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Jacob Bethell early, while Kagiso Rabada got rid of Virat Kohli, leaving RCB at 35 for 2.However, before getting out, Virat Kohli had played an aggressive knock. Notably, the former RCB captain scored 28 runs off just 13 balls, hitting one six and five fours. Interestingly, all five boundaries came in one over against Rabada, where Kohli took 21 runs. But, despite this strong start, things quickly changed. Gill’s decision to continue with Rabada worked well, as the bowler dismissed Virat Kohli in the next over. Consequently, RCB lost momentum and their middle order failed to perform. From a solid 71 for 2 after seven overs, they collapsed to 96 for 6 in just a few overs.Gujarat Titans bowlers take controlAfter that, Gujarat Titans completely dominated the game. Even though Devdutt Padikkal scored 40 runs and tried to rebuild the innings, the GT bowlers kept taking wickets regularly. Arshad Khan was particularly impressive, picking up 3 wickets for 22 runs. Similarly, Rashid Khan took 2 for 19, while Jason Holder contributed with 2 wickets for 29 runs and also took three catches.Also Read: Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill Take Next Step After Abusive Send Off HeatGujarat Titans chase down the target confidentlyIn response, Gujarat Titans started their chase confidently. Although they lost Sai Sudharsan early, Shubman Gill played an attacking innings and gave his team a strong start with boundaries and sixes. In addition, Jos Buttler contributed a quick 39 runs off 19 balls.Towards the end, Rahul Tewatia and Jason Holder calmly finished the game with unbeaten scores of 27 and 12, respectively. As a result, GT chased down the target comfortably and won the match by four wickets.Shubman Gill credits Virat Kohli's innings for turning the gameAfter the match, Shubman Gill explained that Kohli’s aggressive batting actually helped motivate his team. According to him, when Virat Kohli attacked Rabada early in the innings, it forced the team to come together and respond strongly.“The energy in the field was very, very nice, especially after the second over, Virat bhai hit us for some runs and how we all came back together. That was very crucial for us,” Shubman Gill said.Despite this loss, RCB are still in a strong position in the points table. They are currently placed second with 12 points from nine matches and have a healthy net run rate of +1.420. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans are placed fifth, with five wins and a NRR of -0.192.Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Issues Brutal Verdict On BCCI Punishment Of Riyan Parag For Vaping
