GT players evacuated as short circuit causes team bus breakdown after IPL final

IPL final: Gujarat Titans players and support staff were evacuated from their team bus after a short circuit caused smoke to spread inside the vehicle following the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad. All members were safe, with an alternate bus arranged to take them to the hotel.

In Short

• GT players and staff evacuated after a short circuit on the team bus
• Smoke spread inside the bus after the IPL final, all members safe
• Safety scare caps difficult night after GT's loss to RCB in final

Gujarat Titans endured a frightening end to their IPL 2026 campaign after players and support staff were forced to evacuate their team bus following a short circuit on Sunday night in Ahmedabad.

According to PTI, the incident occurred while the team was travelling back to their hotel after suffering a five-wicket defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Smoke reportedly spread inside the bus after the short circuit caused the vehicle to break down, prompting an immediate evacuation.

IPL 2026 Final, RCB vs GT: Highlights | Scorecard

Fortunately, all players and support staff escaped unharmed. The squad was left waiting by the roadside for a brief period before an alternate bus was arranged to transport them safely to the hotel.

The incident capped a disappointing and exhausting night for the Titans, who fell short in their bid to win a second IPL title. Gujarat managed only 155 for 8 in the final before RCB chased down the target with five wickets to spare, successfully defending their crown.

TRAVEL WOES ADD TO DIFFICULT FINAL WEEK

The travel disruption was the latest challenge in what had been a demanding few days for the franchise. Gujarat travelled from Dharamsala to Mullanpur on May 27 ahead of Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals on May 29.

Their scheduled departure to Ahmedabad on May 30 was delayed significantly due to poor weather conditions in Mullanpur, forcing the team to reach Ahmedabad only late on Saturday evening.

The hectic itinerary fuelled speculation over whether fatigue may have played a role in Gujarat's subdued performance in the title clash.

GT NOT MAKING EXCUSES

However, Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki refused to use the team's packed schedule as an excuse for the defeat.

"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," Solanki said during the post-match press conference.

The former England batter admitted Gujarat's total was below par but credited the opposition for seizing their opportunity.

"Admittedly, it was a below par total but they showed great fight to try and defend it. We might make an assessment of what we might have done differently, that's a given. But I think you've got to accept that the opposition sometimes play well as well," he added.

While Gujarat's season ended in disappointment, the short-circuit scare ensured that their journey back from the IPL final became an unexpected talking point on an already difficult night.

- Ends