Captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore Rajat Patidar The Gujarat Titans batsman was visibly disappointed after the third umpire’s controversial decision Washington Sundar A major revival during the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad.The incident happened when RCB had already made an ideal start with the ball. After winning the toss and electing to field, the defending champions struck twice inside the powerplay to remove Gujarat’s star opening pair. Josh Hazlewood dismissed Shabman Gul For 10, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar 12 for Sai Sudharsan, leaving GT under pressure early.In the Titans’ quest for revival, Jacob Duffy has provided RCB with another breakthrough. A short ball on the leg stump, Duffy mistimed a pull shot from Washington Sundar, the ball heading towards fine leg where Jordan Cox completed what initially looked like a clean catch.However, the celebrations were cut short as the third umpire was called into action to check if the catch was properly taken.Multiple replays showed that Cox did not have full control of the ball throughout the catch. The ball seemed to be stuck awkwardly between the fingers of both hands and when he managed to hold it there was uncertainty as to whether he had brushed the ground trying to complete the catch.After reviewing the footage, the third umpire ruled Washington not out, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to confirm a clean catch.This decision did not go down well with the Patidars. The RCB captain immediately approached the on-field umpire and seemed eager to understand the reasoning behind the decision. Television cameras caught Patidar engaged in a lengthy argument as he sought an explanation as to why the catch had not been upheld.From RCB’s point of view, the decision was particularly disappointing given how well they had started. Gujarat Titans have relied heavily on their top order throughout IPL 2026, with Gayle and Sudharsan both scoring over 700 runs during the season and playing a vital role in the team’s run to the final. His early dismissals put RCB firmly in control before Sundar’s escape offered GT a possible way back into the contest.
