IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals host Gujarat Titans in vital fixture
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals will take on the Gujarat Titans in Match No. 52 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The clash will be held at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, May 9. This will be a crucial game for both teams as they look to secure their positions in the tournament standings. Here we look at the match preview.
Team form
RR looking to bounce back from defeat
The Royals will be looking to bounce back from their seven-wicket defeat against the Delhi Capitals. Despite this loss, they have had a decent run with six wins and four losses this season. Currently, they are placed fourth on the points table with a net run rate of 0.510. While batting has been their main strength, bowlers have let them down in recent games.
Team performance
GT eyeing 4th consecutive win
The Titans, on the other hand, are on a three-match winning streak. They have won six matches and lost four in 10, placing them fifth in the standings. However, their net run rate is -0.147, which is lower than that of the Royals. The middle order remains a concern for the Titans. Apart from Kagiso Rabada, they have also struggled to find a regular wicket-taker in their bowling department.
Details
Pitch report and other details
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium pitch is known for its balanced nature, providing equal opportunities to both batsmen and bowlers. However, chasing scores around 170-180 can be difficult due to low bounce and large square boundaries. The weather in Jaipur during the match is expected to be clear with no chances of rain. The match will begin at 7:30pm IST and will be broadcast on JioStar Network channels. It can also be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
Match history
RR vs GT: Decoding the head-to-head record
The Titans hold a strong record against the Royals, having won six of their nine games versus them after debuting in 2022, as per ESPNcricinfo. In Jaipur, the Men in Pink have won just one of their three games against the Titans. Meanwhile, the Royals secured a 6-run win in a thrilling match at the Narendra Modi Stadium when the two sides met earlier this season.
Line-ups
Here are the probable XIIs
RR (Probable XII): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Tushar Deshpande. GT (Probable XII): Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.
Performers
Here are the key performers
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is RR's top run-scorer in IPL 2026 with 404 runs at a strike rate of 237.64, while Jofra Archer leads the wicket-taking chart for them with 15 scalps (ER: 8.62). Sai Sudharsan has scored the most runs for the Titans so far (385 while striking at 158.43). Kagiso Rabada has bowled with venom with the new ball, as 11 of 16 wickets this season have come in the powerplay.
Poll
