Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Gujarat Titans’ preparations for the IPL 2026 final have been disrupted after stormy weather delayed their arrival in Ahmedabad on Saturday, leaving them with less than 24 hours to prepare for Sunday’s title clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, the Titans were scheduled to depart Chandigarh on a charter flight on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after their Qualifier 2 victory over Rajasthan Royals. However, heavy rain across Punjab and Rajasthan affected flight operations, with airport authorities in Chandigarh unable to clear several departures, including GT’s charter.
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The team is now expected to land in Ahmedabad only after 10 pm on Saturday before travelling to its hotel in Gandhinagar, around 30 minutes away from the airport.
The delayed arrival adds another challenge for Shubman Gill’s side as they prepare for their third IPL final and a shot at a second title. It is also the first time an IPL finalist has had to travel on the eve of the final after the BCCI decided to host the playoffs across three venues instead of the usual two.
RCB, meanwhile, have had a more settled build-up. Having secured direct qualification for the final through Qualifier 1, they arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday and have completed two training sessions ahead of Sunday’s contest.
Captain Rajat Patidar acknowledged that the extra recovery time could be beneficial, although he stopped short of calling it a decisive advantage.
“Yes, because after Qualifier 1 we got enough time to rest and recover. At the same time, GT are coming straight from Qualifier 2,” Patidar said. “There is some sort of advantage, but not a huge one because both teams are very good and have played excellent cricket.”
Ahmedabad is set to host its fourth IPL final, with current forecasts suggesting clear weather for the summit clash. The venue, however, carries memories of the rain-hit 2023 final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, which spilled over to the reserve day and finished in the early hours after a two-hour extension.
The Titans will be looking to reclaim the trophy they won in 2022. They came within one ball of defending their crown the following season before Ravindra Jadeja struck the decisive runs to hand Chennai Super Kings their fifth IPL title.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
