Why was there no captain’s photoshoot before IPL 2026 final?
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
RCB and GT will lock horns in the IPL 2026 final as both sides eye their second IPL title.
The Indian Premier League (IPL ) 2026 is about to conclude, with the final set to take place on May 31 between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and the Gujarat Titans (GT). Both teams have played quality cricket throughout the tournament and earned their place in the final.
RCB last faced the GT in Qualifier 1 and secured a spot in the final after defeating them in Dharamshala. Meanwhile, the GT, after losing Qualifier 1, faced Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 and booked their place in the final with a victory. Every year, a day before the final, both captains come together for the trophy photoshoot and a press conference.
However, on Saturday, only Rajat Patidar was seen attending the press conference, while GT captain Shubman Gill was absent. The captains’ photoshoot was also cancelled. On that note, let’s take a look at the reason behind the absence of the captains’ photoshoot before the IPL 2026 final.
Why no photoshoot took place before IPL 2026 final?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier decided to schedule the playoffs across three different cities. Qualifier 1 was scheduled in Dharamshala, the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 were scheduled in New Chandigarh, while the final is set to take place in Ahmedabad.
Due to this schedule, the winner of Qualifier 2 had to travel to Ahmedabad just a day before the final. According to several reports, the Gujarat Titans were scheduled to depart from Chandigarh on Saturday afternoon via a charter flight. However, due to stormy weather in North India, the flights were delayed.
The airport authorities were unable to issue take-off clearance, which meant the Titans had to leave Chandigarh later than planned. As a result, GT captain Shubman Gill was unable to attend the pre-final press conference as well as the captains’ photoshoot.
The GT eventually arrived in Ahmedabad late at night, leaving them with less than 24 hours to prepare for the final. Meanwhile, RCB arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday after winning Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala and also had the advantage of two solid practice sessions ahead of the title clash.
Why was there no captain’s phootshoot before IPL 2026 final?
There was no captain’s photoshoot before the IPL 2026 final due to the late arrival of the flight of Gujarat Titans.
When is the Final of IPL 2026?
IPL 2026 final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 31.
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