Gujarat Titans (GT) batting coach Matthew Hayden identified the team's failure to make the most of the Powerplay overs as a key factor in their defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by five wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final.

Batting first, GT struggled initially, scoring only 45 runs while losing captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, their top run-scorers this season, during the Powerplay. RCB controlled the game through disciplined new-ball bowling and effective spin in the middle overs, triggering a batting collapse that prevented GT from gaining momentum.

The Titans posted 155/8 in 20 overs, a target that RCB successfully chased in 18 overs to secure their IPL 2026 title defence.

Hayden commented after the match: “Always hard to put it down to one thing for a season that’s so long. We have apex predators but couldn’t get going in the Powerplay. All our bowlers have been amazing. It’s a very successful franchise. We’ve developed a nice fanbase that’s sticking behind Gill, Sai and Buttler. This group is calm, does nothing urgently. Nehra is chilled out. Biggest thing in this franchise is family, that’ll keep it in good stead.”

He also praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who finished the season as the highest run-scorer with 776 runs, and urged young cricketers to learn from their heroes and persevere.

“Experience as coach was beyond my expectations. It was more detailed with bowling plans. We’re a conservative batting side but crush the ball out of the ground at times. Credit to all our staff, makes it possible for us to play harder and recover quicker. Trying to understand what’s happened is difficult. One thing the IPL brings out is young talent. It’s exciting to watch the extraordinary Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. All you youngsters watching out there just keep playing and keep learning from your heroes,” Hayden added.

Put into bat by RCB, GT’s innings featured only Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, three fours) crossing 20 runs. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took regular wickets.