Vikram Solanki cites Virat Kohli’s 75 as key to IPL final loss
Vikram Solanki, the Director of Cricket for Gujarat Titans (GT), expressed immense pride in his squad’s IPL 2026 campaign despite a five-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final on Sunday. Speaking after the match in Ahmedabad, Vikram Solanki admitted the team would have liked to have gone “one step further” but maintained that the group achieved significant milestones throughout the season. The Gujarat Titans finished second in the league stage before navigating a difficult playoff route to reach the championship game.
The path to the final was physically demanding for the Gujarat Titans, who were forced to play three matches in just five days following a loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1. Their travel to Ahmedabad was further complicated by a storm in Chandigarh, meaning the squad arrived late on Saturday night with less than 20 hours to recover before taking the field. Despite these logistical hurdles, Vikram Solanki refused to use fatigue or the weather as an excuse for the defeat, stating that Royal Challengers Bengaluru was simply the better side on the day.
During the chase, Virat Kohli anchored the Royal Challengers Bengaluru innings with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, leading his team to victory with two overs to spare. Vikram Solanki acknowledged the performance, describing Virat Kohli as an exceptional player who guided the chase clinically. Much like how a veteran athlete like Novak Djokovic meets new challenges with poise, Virat Kohli’s experience proved decisive in the high-pressure environment of the Ahmedabad final.
Vikram Solanki evaluates batting performance and tactical shifts
The Gujarat Titans posted a total of 155/8, which Vikram Solanki later identified as being roughly 20-25 runs short of a truly competitive score. He noted that a total closer to 180 would have provided a much stiffer challenge for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batters. This miscalculation of a par score on the Ahmedabad surface left the bowlers with little room for error against an in-form opposition.
One of the most discussed tactical moments of the final was the decision to promote young Nishant Sindhu to the number three spot ahead of Jos Buttler. The move came after both openers were dismissed within the first four overs. Nishant Sindhu scored 20 runs off 18 balls, including three boundaries, but the gamble failed to provide the explosive momentum the Gujarat Titans needed to recover from their early losses. While the promotion didn’t pay off, Vikram Solanki defended the “judgment call” made by head coach Ashish Nehra.
Vikram Solanki explained that Ashish Nehra often makes such instinctive calls in conjunction with the captain. These high-stakes decisions reflect the pressure of the tournament where every tactical rotation is magnified. For instance, just as Toto Wolff reacts to Mercedes contact by evaluating the broader team impact, the Gujarat Titans coaching staff must now weigh these individual match decisions against their overall strategic philosophy for the coming seasons.
Addressing the reliance on Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan
The Gujarat Titans’ batting throughout the 2026 season relied heavily on the prolific form of Captain Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan. Both players surpassed the 700-run mark for the campaign, becoming the primary engines of the team’s offense. In the final, however, Shubman Gill was restricted to just 10 runs, exposing a middle order that struggled to maintain the necessary run rate against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru seamers.
When asked about this perceived over-reliance, Vikram Solanki pointed to the fact that the pair has now recorded 11-century partnerships in T20 cricket overall—the most for any pair in the format. He defended the team’s structure, noting that they had successfully reached the final and that the “details of that are there for everyone to see.” He urged critics to respect the success of the campaign rather than focusing solely on the lack of a stabilized middle-order contribution in the final match.
Looking ahead to the Gujarat Titans future cycles
The 2026 season represented a major turnaround for the Gujarat Titans compared to their 2024 campaign, where they finished 8th in the league and were eliminated for the first time. The team has now returned to the status of title contenders, building on the foundation set when they won the championship in their maiden season in 2022 and finished as runners-up in 2023. This consistency remains a point of pride for the management.
The transition of leadership to Shubman Gill, who was appointed captain after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians prior to the 2024 season, has clearly matured. While the 155-run total in the final showed areas for improvement, the “fight and hunger” displayed by the squad was a highlight for Vikram Solanki. The Director of Cricket emphasized that while they missed out on the trophy, many other teams would have gladly traded places to be in the final.
As the Gujarat Titans move toward the next season, the focus will likely remain on balancing their elite top-order production with more consistent contributions from the Indian core in the middle. For now, the group takes solace in their achievement of reaching another championship game despite the compressed schedule and logistical difficulties of the playoff week. Vikram Solanki concluded by offering his congratulations to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for their outstanding consistency throughout the league and postseason.