Gujarat Titans endured a night to forget after their IPL 2026 final defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with the franchise facing an unexpected scare off the field as well. Shortly after losing the title clash by five wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Titans’ team bus reportedly short-circuited while transporting players and support staff back to the team hotel.
According to reports, the electrical fault caused smoke to spread inside the vehicle, prompting an immediate evacuation. Fortunately, all players, coaches, and staff members were safely escorted out, and no injuries were reported. However, the incident left the squad stranded for nearly an hour, adding to the disappointment of an already difficult evening.
The scare came at the end of a demanding few days for the Gujarat Titans. Their hectic travel schedule began with a journey from Dharamsala to Mullanpur ahead of Qualifier 2 against the Rajasthan Royals on May 29. Weather-related disruptions delayed their departure to Ahmedabad, and the team only arrived at their home base late on Saturday evening before the IPL 2026 final.
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Following the loss, questions were raised about whether fatigue and travel challenges had impacted the Gujarat Titans’ performance in the title decider. However, Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki refused to use scheduling issues as an excuse for the defeat.
BREAKING: Massive scare for GT players, support staff. Team bus had a short circuit when they were returning to hotel after final. Everyone safely evacuated, players had to wait on road late in night. @pratyush93_raj with more details from Ahmedabadhttps://t.co/Ej1PsDmzmf
— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) May 31, 2026
GT ની બસમાં થયુ શોર્ટ સર્કિટ, ખેલાડીઓને રસ્તા વચ્ચે ઉતારવા પડ્યા ##RCBvsGT #GT pic.twitter.com/bTBAg9uoFA
— Webdunia Gujarati (@Webdunia_Guj) June 1, 2026
“I don’t want to take away from the fact that RCB have won by simply stating that we’ve had this number of games in these short days and we’re fatigued and that’s not really what we’re about,” Virkam Solanki said during the post-match press conference.
The former England batter admitted that Gujarat’s total of 155/8 was below par but praised the team’s effort in defending it against a strong RCB batting lineup.
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“Admittedly, it was a below-par total, but they showed great fight to try and defend it. We might assess what we could have done differently, but you also have to acknowledge when the opposition plays better cricket,” he added.
While the bus incident caused concern, the biggest disappointment for the Gujarat Titans remained missing out on a second IPL title after a promising campaign that ended one step short of glory.
