As Royal Challengers Bengaluru prepare for their IPL 2026 final showdown against Gujarat Titans, former India captain Kris Srikkanth has made a bold selection call. The ex-opener believes RCB should leave Romario Shepherd out of their playing XI, arguing that the West Indies all-rounder could become a major liability in the title clash.Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of the final, Srikkanth expressed concerns over Shepherd’s performances with the ball this season. While the all-rounder has picked up seven wickets during the campaign, he has leaked runs at an economy rate exceeding 12 runs per over. Srikkanth went as far as claiming that Shepherd’s bowling could be the one factor capable of derailing RCB’s bid for back-to-back IPL titles.“There is no news about Phil Salt yet so they shouldn’t change now even if he’s fit, as Venkatesh Iyer is doing well. The only way RCB can lose is if Romario Shepherd bowls three overs. If he bowls three overs, RCB are gone. Shepherd shouldn’t bowl and should not be in the 11 at all,” he said on YouTube.The former India skipper also advised RCB to stick with Venkatesh Iyer regardless of Phil Salt’s availability. Iyer has impressed since coming into the side and Srikkanth feels the defending champions should avoid tinkering with a winning combination before the biggest match of the season.Looking at the Gujarat Titans’ perspective, Srikkanth identified RCB’s top order as the biggest obstacle standing between GT and the trophy. In particular, he highlighted the partnership between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, which has repeatedly laid strong foundations for Bengaluru throughout the campaign.According to Srikkanth, Gujarat’s chances could hinge on breaking that partnership as early as possible.“If at all GT has to win, they’ll have to break the Virat Kohli-Devdutt Padikkal partnership. RCB always wins if Virat Kohli just makes 40. But it’s his partnership with Padikkal that’s key for them. RCB only struggle if one of these two gets out early and there is no substantial partnership between the two,” said Srikkanth.He further stressed that Gujarat must strike early against not only Kohli and Padikkal but also captain Rajat Patidar. In his view, allowing any two of the three batters to settle could effectively hand the advantage to Bengaluru.“GT’s only hope of winning is getting all three of Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar out early. If any two out of these three click, RCB are winners. So GT have to dismiss atleast two of these three early to have any chance of winning. Rabada and Siraj have to bowl well in tandem for GT to win,” added Srikkanth.With both teams chasing a second IPL title, Srikkanth’s comments have added another layer of intrigue ahead of the final, particularly around RCB’s team selection and Gujarat’s plans against one of the tournament’s most formidable batting units.
