Gujarat Titans players and support staff escape safety scare as team bus suffers short circuit on way back to hotel

Sunday night went from bad to worse for the Gujarat Titans. Hours after suffering a disappointing five-wicket defeat in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Gujarat squad endured an alarming ordeal on their way back to the team hotel in Ahmedabad.

According to reports from news agency PTI, the team bus carrying the Gujarat players and the support staff suffered a breakdown mid-road. A short circuit triggered a blaze, causing smoke to spread rapidly inside the vehicle.

Fortunately, all players and support staff were successfully evacuated on time, resulting in no major harm or injuries. However, the unexpected breakdown left the entire squad stranded on the roadside for nearly an hour late Sunday night before alternative logistics could be arranged.

Midnight Scare For Finalists

The incident occurred as the luxury coach was ferrying the team back from the Narendra Modi Stadium. Ground-level cues indicate that panic briefly ensued when thick smoke began filling the cabin. The team's logistics manager acted swiftly, halting the vehicle and ordering an immediate evacuation.

Local authorities confirmed that the situation was brought under control quickly, preventing what could have been a far more serious hazard. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed disgruntled players waiting on the pavement as technicians inspected the smoking rear portion of the bus.

Stranded On The Highway

Initial reports indicate that the franchise had to wait for nearly an hour in the humid Ahmedabad night before a replacement vehicle arrived. The team members, visibly exhausted from the high-octane summit clash, finally reached their hotel rooms well past midnight.

"The squad remained safe and unhurt despite the smoke spreading inside the bus," a source familiar with the matter said. "The logistics team quickly coordinated with local vendors to arrange an alternate bus to ferry them to their destination safely."

Compounding On-Field Plight

The alarming vehicle breakdown capped off a thoroughly taxing night for Shubman Gill's men. Earlier in the evening, the 2022 champions failed to defend their runner-up pride on the field, putting up a flop show with the bat against a disciplined RCB bowling unit.

GT’s star-studded top order fell like a pack of cards, with Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler all departing without crossing the 20-run mark. A mature, fighting half-century from Washington Sundar ($50^$ off 37 balls) eventually pushed the team to a modest $155/8$.

In response, RCB's chase maestro Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a masterclass $75^$ off 42 balls, wrapping up the game in the 18th over and sealing back-to-back crowns for the Bengaluru franchise.

Straining Travel Itinerary

The mechanical fault in the team bus highlighted a challenging 24-hour window for the franchise. Even before taking the field for the finale, the Titans were grappling with an exhausting playoff travel schedule, worsened by turbulent weather across north-western India.

After their Qualifier 1 loss, the team travelled from Dharamshala to Mullanpur on May 27, where they defeated Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday night. However, their scheduled chartered flight to Ahmedabad on Saturday was delayed by over three hours due to heavy rain in Chandigarh, forcing a late evening arrival.

No Excuses From Management

The logistical setbacks even forced the postponement of the official captains' pre-match photoshoot. Despite the visible exhaustion and the subsequent GT bus fire scare, the team management refused to point fingers at external factors.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gujarat’s Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki downplayed the role of fatigue in their final defeat.

 "The number of games in a short period of time is challenging. Of course it is, at the end of a campaign, but I'm not going to lean on that at all," Solanki stated. "The fact is that RCB have beaten us today... I don't want to take away from that by simply stating we're fatigued. That's not really what we're about."

With the season drawing to a dramatic close, the GT management is expected to conduct an internal review regarding both the on-field tactical failures and the off-field transport safety breach.