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Kagiso Rabada walked into Qualifier 1 already carrying the reputation of IPL 2026’s most dangerous powerplay bowler. By the time his opening spell against RCB ended in Dharamshala, he had turned that reputation into official IPL history. The Gujarat Titans fast bowler dismissed Venkatesh Iyer in the second over of the innings to claim his 18th wicket in the first six overs this season the highest ever by a bowler in a single IPL edition.

The wicket also pushed Rabada to 25 wickets in IPL 2026 overall, taking him clear in the Purple Cap race and making him the first bowler in IPL history to take 25 or more wickets in three separate seasons. Ironically, the record came in the middle of one of the wildest powerplays of the season, with RCB attacking Rabada fearlessly despite the early breakthrough and smashing 76/1 in the first six overs.

Rabada breaks all-time IPL powerplay wicket record in Dharamshala

Rabada’s historic moment arrived in the second over after Venkatesh Iyer had already launched Jason Holder for early boundaries. GT turned to Rabada immediately and the South African responded with the exact formula that has defined his IPL 2026 campaign, hard lengths, steep bounce and relentless pace.

After Iyer shuffled across and scooped him for six earlier in the over, Rabada hit back on the very next ball. He banged in a sharp back-of-a-length delivery outside off stump that hurried the left-hander completely. Iyer attempted the pull but lost shape, slicing the ball high over mid-off where Shubman Gill backtracked calmly to complete the catch. That wicket officially took Rabada to 18 powerplay wickets this season, breaking the long-standing IPL record.

Most wickets in first six overs in an IPL edition:

18 - Kagiso Rabada (GT, 2026) 17 - Mohammed Shami (GT, 2023) 16 - Mitchell Johnson (MI, 2013) 16 - Trent Boult (MI, 2020)

Rabada’s record-breaking season has been built on an unusually disciplined fast-bowling method. Instead of constantly chasing yorkers, he has operated primarily from Test-match lengths, pounding 84.3% of his deliveries into good or back-of-a-length areas while using subtle pace variations and natural bounce to force mistakes. On Dharamshala’s spongy surface, that method became even more dangerous.

RCB counterattacked hard despite Rabada's early breakthrough

For all the history Rabada created, Qualifier 1 also produced his most expensive powerplay spell of IPL 2026. RCB refused to let GT settle after the wicket of Iyer and launched a brutal counterattack across Rabada’s next two overs.

Devdutt Padikkal took charge first in the fourth over, lining Rabada up perfectly for three consecutive boundaries, a flick through square leg, a deft late cut and then a fierce square cut that raced away before the field could react. Fourteen runs came from the over and suddenly the momentum swung back toward RCB.

Then came Virat Kohli in the sixth over. Brought back to finish the powerplay, Rabada ran into a clinical assault from Kohli, who whipped him elegantly through the leg side twice before upper-cutting a short delivery over the wicketkeeper for six.

Another 14-run over followed. By the end of the powerplay, RCB had stormed to 76/1 while Rabada’s figures stood at: 3-0-39-1 Those 39 runs were the most Rabada had conceded in a powerplay spell all season. Yet even in the middle of that punishment, the GT quick still walked away with the biggest individual bowling record of IPL 2026.

RCB vs GT Qualifier 1: Kohli starts fast but GT strike back after explosive powerplay

Royal Challengers Bengaluru raced out of the blocks in Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, smashing 76/1 in the powerplay after being put into bat by Shubman Gill. Venkatesh Iyer came out swinging with 19 off just 7 balls before Kagiso Rabada removed him to create IPL history with his 18th powerplay wicket of the season.

Virat Kohli then took control alongside Devdutt Padikkal as the pair attacked GT’s pace attack aggressively. Kohli looked in complete rhythm during his 43 off 25 balls, whipping Rabada through the leg side and even upper-cutting him for six during a brutal sixth over that helped RCB cross fifty inside four overs.

However, Gujarat dragged themselves back into the contest through Jason Holder, who dismissed both Kohli and Padikkal in the space of three deliveries. At 112/3 after 11 overs, RCB still have a strong platform with Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya at the crease, but the momentum that looked firmly theirs during the powerplay has slowed considerably over the last five overs.

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