IPL 2026 Qualifier 1: GT Must Create History To Reach Final As RCB Post Mammoth 255 Target; Check Highest Playoff Chases

Dharamshala, May 26: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have put themselves in a commanding position in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans after posting a mammoth target of 255 runs at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday. RCB's 255 runs target is the highest-ever target set in the Playoff in IPL history. Gujarat Titans must create history to qualify directly to the IPL 2026 Final as such huge target has never been chased in an IPL playoff match.

The IPL playoff history shows that chasing big scores in knockout games gets extremely difficult. In the Qualifier 1 matches especially, teams batting first have mostly enjoyed the advantage. The highest successful chase in a Qualifier 1 game belongs to the Chennai Super Kings as they chased down a target of only 177/4 against RCB in 2011.

Here are some of the highest successful run chases in IPL playoff history:

204 target - Punjab Kings chased 207/5 vs Mumbai Indians, Qualifier 2 (2025)

200 target - Kolkata Knight Riders chased 200/7 vs Punjab Kings, Final (2014)

191 target - Kolkata Knight Riders chased 192/5 vs Chennai Super Kings, Final (2012)

189 target - Gujarat Titans chased 191/3 vs Rajasthan Royals, Qualifier 1 (2022)

179 target - Chennai Super Kings chased 181/2 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Final (2018)

177 target - Chennai Super Kings chased 177/4 vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Qualifier 1 (2011)

Gujarat Titans may now have to produce one of the greatest playoff chases in IPL history to reach the final directly. They need to go all guns blazing from the very first ball of their second innings. The pressure will now be on their batting line-up as they try to break the record and script history in Dharamshala.