Kagiso Rabada scripts powerplay record in IPL 2026 [Source: AP]In the Qualifier 1 contest of the IPL 2026 season between RCB and GT, South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada delivered a big blow in the powerplay, and with that, he achieved a big personal milestone.The big knockout game was held at the Mullanpur Stadium in Chandigarh. Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field first. For RCB, Venkatesh Iyer walked out to open with Virat Kohli as Phil Salt was unavailable for the contest due to a finger injury.Kagiso Rabada becomes IPL’s most successful powerplay bowlerVenkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli had a good start for RCB with a 21-run partnership in 12 balls. However, Iyer, batting on 19 off 7 balls, fell prey to Kagiso Rabada.On the final ball of the second over, Iyer tried to take on Rabada but mistimed a pull shot off a back-of-a-length delivery. The ball flew high towards mid-off, where Shubman Gill showed great composure to complete a superb running catch. Despite smashing a six on the previous ball, Venkates Iyer couldn’t calm his nerves, and Rabada had his 18th powerplay wicket of the season.This is now the highest number of wickets taken by a bowler in a powerplay in a single IPL edition. Kagiso Rabada broke the record of Mohammed Shami, who bagged 17 powerplay wickets in 2013.Most wickets in powerplay in single IPL edition:Kagiso Rabada - 18 wickets, 2026Mohammed Shami - 17 wickets, 2023Mitchell Johnson - 16 wickets, 2013Trent Boult - 16 wickets, 2020Not only that, with 25 wickets, Rabada is the new leader in the Purple Cap race, followed by RCB’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar.Also Read - Revealed: Why Did RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 Have A Delayed Start?RCB suffer double blow That being said, despite Venkatesh Iyer’s dismissal in the powerplay, RCB rebuilt the innings as Virat Kohli built a 72-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal for the second wicket.While Kohli scored 43, Padikkal contributed with 30 off 19 balls before Jason Holder removed both the set batters in a single over.Virat mistimed a pull shot, and an inside edge crashed into his off-stump in what turned out to be an unlucky dismissal. On the other hand, Padikkal attempted a late cut towards the third man. However, he only managed a faint edge, and Jos Buttler made no mistake behind the stumps. With that, RCB lost both the set batters and were reduced to 94/3.Phil Salt missed Qualifier 1 for RCBMeanwhile, in a major setback, Phil Salt was unavailable for the high-stakes IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 game between RCB and GT. The explosive opener has been struggling with a finger injury for a couple of weeks.He travelled to England to get scans done and later returned to India for rehab. Not only that, Salt was ruled out of the league stages but expected to be fit in time for the payoffs.Also Read - Virat Kohli Creates New World Record In IPLHowever, with a direct spot in the IPL 2026 final on the line, RCB appear to have taken a cautious route with Phil Salt, especially considering they still have another opportunity through Qualifier 2 if they lose tonight. The management seemingly does not want to risk aggravating the injury ahead of potentially bigger matches. Moreover, since Jacob Bethell is also injured, RCB opted to open with Venkatesh Iyer instead.Follow RCB vs GT, Qualifier 1 IPL 2026 Live Updates For Each And Every Detail Of The High-Octane IPL 2026 Clash
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