Deep Dasgupta highlights crucial powerplay showdown in IPL Qualifier 1

Dubai: Ahead of the IPL 2026 play-offs, former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta said the Powerplay could prove decisive in Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.

He feels GT’s batting unit will face a stern examination from the RCB pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood with the new ball.

Dasgupta pointed out that in previous meetings, Shubman Gill appeared comfortable against Josh Hazlewood, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar regularly struck early to apply pressure in the powerplay.

The now cricket analyst believes the first six overs will set the tone of the match and even suggested the winner of this clash could go on to lift IPL 2026.

“The biggest battle in Qualifier 1 will be the Powerplay contest between Gujarat Titans’ top-order batters and the new-ball pairing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood,” Dasgupta said on JioHotstar.

“In the previous game, Shubman Gill was outstanding against Hazlewood, while Bhuvneshwar picked up crucial wickets and created pressure early on."

“Those first six overs could well decide the direction of the match because both teams rely heavily on strong starts. My gut feeling is that whichever team wins this game could go on to win the tournament," he added.

RCB, the defending champions, will face GT in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on Tuesday, with a spot in the IPL 2026 final on the line.

The side had a strong league stage with nine wins and five losses from 14 matches, while GT also finished with nine wins and 18 points.

Even though RCB finished higher in the table, GT come into the knockout with better momentum after an 89-run win over CSK, while RCB suffered a 55-run loss to SRH.