RCB’s opening combination for final of IPL 2026 against GT revealed

RCB will clash with GT in the IPL 2026 final on May 31.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) are the finalists of the Indian Premier League 2026. Both teams will lock horns for the trophy on May 31 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

After topping the points table in the league stage, RCB made it to the final by crushing GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1. The Shubman Gill & Co. bounced back by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 by seven wickets.

Notably, RCB have opted for different set of openers in IPL 2026. At the start, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt opened the batting. After Salt sustained a finger injury, Jacob Bethell opened the batting with Kohli.

However, Bethell was also ruled out due to a finger injury, and RCB promoted Venkatesh Iyer as an opener alongside Kohli in recent games. Now, Salt has rejoined ahead of the final, and the question remains about RCB’s opening combination.

Venkatesh Iyer & Virat Kohli to open for RCB in IPL 2026 final – Reports

According to a report by Revsportz, Venkatesh and Kohli will be retained as openers in the IPL 2026 final by RCB.

Iyer and Kohli have done a magnificent job with the bat. While Kohli is the leading run-scorer for his side with 600 runs, Iyer has piled up 177 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 184.37. They have also done a brilliant job in the powerplay in the previous few games.

Moreover, changing the opening combination in the final can be a risky decision for RCB. Salt has been out of the field for over a month, having last played on April 18 against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Playing him directly in the final would not be a sensible decision. Moreover, they will also find it hard to adjust him in the playing XI as they cannot drop an in-form batter like Iyer.

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