The Gujarat Titans team bus caught fire after the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad, but all those on board escaped unharmed. The scare followed the side’s five-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
What happened
Reports say an electrical fault in the bus’s main unit caused a short circuit. Smoke spread through the vehicle and into the area where players and support staff were sitting. Everyone, including the driver, got off safely before things escalated.
The squad then waited by the roadside for close to an hour until a replacement bus took them to the team hotel. Logistics staff, security personnel and Ahmedabad Police officers along the route acted quickly and helped avoid any serious consequences.
The final
The incident came soon after Gujarat lost their second IPL final. Chasing a modest target, RCB won with two overs to spare. Virat Kohli led the chase with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls and finished the job with a six, in a side captained by Rajat Patidar.
Gujarat’s build-up had also been awkward. After beating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, their flight to Ahmedabad was delayed by bad weather in New Chandigarh, so they landed less than 24 hours before the final.
Even so, Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki would not blame the schedule. He said he did not want to detract from RCB’s win by pointing to fatigue, adding that this was not what the team stands for.
The victory made RCB back-to-back IPL champions.
