Gujarat Titans host Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium in the 9th match of IPL 2026. Image Credit: X/@IPL
GT vs RR Preview: The Gujarat Titans will return home to iconic Narendra Modi Stadium after suffering a tough defeat at the hands of the Punjab Kings. The Titans, led by Shubman Gill, will host the Rajasthan Royals. The Royals are coming into this game fresh off a massive win against the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings.
After a loss, there is no place the Titans would want to be other than the Narendra Modi Stadium. Since their inception in the Indian Premier League, GT have enjoyed batting in Ahmedabad. The top-order of Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler would be licking their lips and would want to get back in form. Meanwhile, the young batting core of RR, featuring teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Riyan Parag, could make the best use of the batter-friendly conditions.
The hosts for the night, the Gujarat Titans, started their campaign with a three-wicket loss against the Punjab Kings. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals absolutely decimated the Chennai Super Kings with an eight-wicket win with 47 balls to spare. As these two teams meet at Narendra Modi Stadium, the two batting units would play key roles. However, the bowlers could have a massive say in restricting the opposition to a total that could be a match-winning one.
It was a rare batting failure for the GT top-order as neither of Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, nor Jos Buttler fired. It was a highlight for the 2022 champions in the previous season where they made it to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the bowlers picked up only a solitary wicket in the first nine overs. Kagiso Rabada had another poor outing in the shortest format as the South African pacer went for 34 runs in his three overs.
The form of Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, and Rahul Tewatia with the bat in hand is a huge concern for the Titans. It puts up more pressure on the top-order to possibly play a bit conservatively.
Whatever could go right for the Rajasthan Royals went right as they defeated the Chennai Super Kings in their opening clash. With the ball in hand, overseas pacers Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger picked up a couple of wickets each. Meanwhile, their new signings, Ravi Bishnoi, Ravindra Jadeja, and Brijesh Sharma claimed a wicket each as well. The ever-reliant Sandeep Sharma took the final wicket, bowling out CSK for 127 runs.
In the second innings, the Royals responded strongly with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scoring 52 runs in 17 balls. The left-handed batter struck four fours and five sixes in a fiery knock, sealing the win for his team. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag sealed the win with a 29-run stand for the third wicket.
Gujarat Titans Predicted Playing XI: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player for GT: Prasidh Krishna
Rajasthan Royals Predicted Playing XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma
Impact Player for RR: Donovan Ferreira
NASA’s Artemis II mission is moving closer to a historic moment as astronauts travel more…
Sameer Rizvi's dazzling knock of 90 runs helped the Delhi Capitals (DC) beat the Mumbai…
Let the wisdom of tarot help you prepare, stay mindful, and make the most of…
