Rahul Tewatia Creates History Despite GT's Humiliating Qualifier 1 Loss To RCB; Breaks HUGE MS Dhoni Record

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala to reach the final for the second consecutive time. In fact, GT faced a massive loss by 92 runs.

Despite this humiliating defeat, the one man who stood out was Rahul Tewatia, who put up a solid fight with the bat as he slammed 68 runs from 43 balls. In fact, the left-handed batter broke a massive IPL record that has been held for 13 years by the legendary MS Dhoni. Rahul Tewatia's 68-run knock is now the highest score by a batter coming in at no.7 or below in an IPL playoff match. He has broken the record of MS Dhoni who scored 63 from 45 balls in the IPL 2013 final against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Here are the players with the highest score in an IPL playoff match batting at no.7 or below: PlayerTeamRunsBallsAgainstVenueDateRahul TewatiaGujarat Titans6843Royal Challengers BengaluruDharamsalaMay 26, 2026MS DhoniChennai Super Kings63*45Mumbai IndiansKolkataMay 26, 2013Brad HodgeRajasthan Royals54*29Sunrisers HyderabadDelhiMay 22, 2013Andre RussellKolkata Knight Riders49*25Rajasthan RoyalsKolkataMay 23, 2018Carlos BrathwaiteSunrisers Hyderabad43*29Chennai Super KingsMumbai (WS)May 22, 2018RCB Reach IPL Final Courtesy Rajat Patidar Brilliance RCB posted a mammoth total of 254/5 on the board in what was the highest ever made in a playoff match in the history of the IPL. Rajat Patdiar was the star of the show with a 33-ball 93 in a knock that included nine sixes. Virat Kohli (43 off 25) gave them a quick start. Krunal Pandya (43 of 28) put up a 95-run partnership with Patidar in just 35 balls.

Kagiso Rabada (2-54) and Jason Holder (2-39) took two wickets each. The defending champions then bowled out the 2022 trophy winners for just 162 after their pacers took five wickets in the powerplay, as Rahul Tewatia's 43-ball 68 proved a case of too little too late. Jacob Duffy (3-39) was the pick of the bowlers, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-28), Rasikh Salam Dar (2-24) and Krunal Pandya (2-16) took two wickets each. RCB, thus reached the IPL final for the second time in a row.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Cricket, IPL 2026, IPL Points Table, and around the Sports.