'Get rid of the ring leader' - Mark Boucher picks defining battles in RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Qualifier 1

Published - 26 May 2026, 17:13 IST | Updated - 26 May 2026, 17:13 IST

While the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (GT) have several star players in their ranks, there are some key battles which could be defining factors in Qualifier 1. This high-voltage clash will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday, May 26.

Former Mumbai Indians' head coach Mark Boucher opined that Bhuvneshwar Kumar versus Shubman Gill will be a mouth-watering contest, and the outcome could be crucial in deciding the fate of both teams. Boucher added that if the ball swings around, Bhuvneshwar will give the famed GT top-order a tough time.

"Bhuvi against Gill - I think that's going to be a big one. If they can see the back of Shubman Gill early, I think it might put a bit of pressure on the rest of the batting order. I think Bhuvi against the whole top order, to be fair. If the ball's swinging and he's got his tail up as well, that'll be a battle," Boucher said during a discussion on ESPNcricinfo Timeout.

Boucher also mentioned Virat Kohli's face-off against the in-form seam-bowling duo of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada. The former South African wicketkeeper said that if either Siraj or Rabada can dismiss Kohli early, they can put the RCB middle-order under pressure.

"On the reverse side, you look at Kohli, and you look at Siraj and Rabada. It's the same thing. Although Kohli is not the captain, he's the captain of the batting, if you want to call it that. If they can get him early, they'll feel that they can make inroads to that middle order, which I think is better than the GT middle order. But certainly, you want to try and get rid of the ring leader in Kohli," he added.

Meanwhile, six-time IPL winner Ambati Rayudu opined that GT and RCB have strong top orders and they will cancel each other out. He believes that the important phase of the match will be the one in which Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan bowl to the RCB middle-order.

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"I would want to see how Prasidh holds to the RCB middle order batsmen. That is where I feel this game will be won or lost. GT and RCB will cancel each other off at the top of the order, but in those middle overs, RCB are very powerful. You need someone like Prasidh and Rashid to step up. If they step up, then it'll be a great game, but otherwise RCB will blow [GT] away," Rayudu said.