League-stage chaos is now in the past, as the Indian Premier League heads into playoff mode. Call it controlled chaos.<\/p>\n
Now the storylines turn more to pressure, legacy and superstar performances under the bright spotlight, under knockout conditions.<\/p>\n
Qualifier 1 is the marquee matchup tomorrow, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru up against Gujarat Titans, with a direct berth to the IPL Final in in Ahmedabad on the line. The loser gets another shot in Qualifier 2.<\/p>\n
RCB are the defending champs, are chasing their second title and riding high with Virat Kohli in great form. He\u2019s been their batting anchor all season. Any IPL playoff involving Kohli is a massive event in India. The pressure is enormous because RCB finished atop the standings and now enters the playoffs as the team to beat.<\/p>\n
Gujarat Titans are rock-solid squad led by Shubman Gill, with Sai Sudharsan on fire and a bowling attack featuring Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan. Deep batting lineup, strong death bowling, disciplined pace attack, just consistent top to bottom.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s basically two of the most consistent teams this year going head-to-head, both with 18 points and close Net Run Rate.<\/p>\n
Royal Challengers Bengaluru just had a huge win over Mumbai. They\u2019re coming on strong \u2013 a lot of people in the sport are saying they don\u2019t want to face them.<\/p>\n
The high-altitude pitch in Dharamshala usually means massive scores (200-plus) with the ball flying off the bat, but pacers or fast bowlers get early swing.<\/p>\n