RR vs GT preview: Rajasthan, Gujarat clash to reach 2nd position on points table; check head-to-head, pitch report, more

Rajasthan Royals will host Gujarat Titans at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, 9 May. The match begins at 7:30 PM IST, with both sides level on 12 points from 10 matches. The winner will move into 2nd place on the points table. This is as high-stakes as league-stage cricket gets.

Match Logistics

The match is at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, starting at 7:30 PM IST. It will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed live on JioHotstar. This is also RR's third annual "Pink Promise Match". The Royals are playing in a special all-pink jersey. For every 6 hit during the match, six homes in rural Rajasthan will be electrified using solar power.

Head-to-Head Record

Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans have faced each other 9 times in the IPL. GT led the head-to-head 6–3. Their first meeting came on 14 April 2022, with the Titans winning by 37 runs. The two teams also met in the IPL 2022 final, where Hardik Pandya's GT lifted the trophy by 7 wickets in their debut season.

The Royals won the most recent encounter earlier in IPL 2026 by 6 runs in Ahmedabad. However, GT have won both previous meetings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

On the individual records front, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 101 off 35 balls for RR in IPL 2025 is the highest individual score in this rivalry. It’s also the fastest IPL century by an Indian. Ravi Bishnoi's 4/41 in IPL 2026 is the best bowling figures by any RR bowler against GT to date.

Predicted Playing XIs

Rajasthan Royals (probable XII): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger/Dasun Shanaka, Brijesh Sharma, Tushar Deshpande.

Gujarat Titans (probable XII): Shubman Gill (capt), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.

Team News

RR have a Nandre Burger problem and could make a bowling change. They are likely to bring in Kwena Maphaka, Adam Milne or Dasun Shanaka. There is also a possibility of Shimron Hetmyer returning to bolster RR's batting depth.

GT handed Nishant Sindhu a debut in the last match. They are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination. GT enter on the back of an impressive four-wicket win over Punjab Kings, with Jason Holder producing his best IPL figures of 4/24.

Key Players to Watch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR): Sooryavanshi has scored 404 runs in 10 games. He has been RR's top scorer in IPL 2026. He will be eager to bounce back after a rare quiet outing against the Delhi Capitals.

Riyan Parag (RR): The RR captain is finding his touch at the right time. Parag scored 90 off 50 balls against Delhi Capitals, hitting 8 fours and 5 sixes.

Jofra Archer (RR): Archer leads RR's wicket-taking chart with 15 scalps this season. He remains RR's most dangerous power-play weapon.

Shubman Gill (GT): Gill has scored 378 runs and will be keen to convert starts into a big score. He now has 4,244 runs in the IPL.

Kagiso Rabada (GT): Rabada is GT's top wicket-taker with 16 scalps this season. He provides the pace and hostility that can unsettle any top order.

Sai Sudharsan (GT): Sudharsan has scored 385 runs while striking at 158.43 this season. He provides GT's most consistent batting contribution.

Pitch and Conditions

Sawai Mansingh Stadium has hosted 66 IPL matches. Teams batting second have won 44 of those, a success rate of 65.15%. The average first-innings score at the venue is 167.38.

The highest team total at this ground is 229/5 by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026. The lowest is 59 all out by RR against RCB in IPL 2023.

Virat Kohli holds the record for the highest individual score here, with an unbeaten 113 for RCB against RR in IPL 2024. The best bowling figures at the venue remain Sohail Tanvir's extraordinary 6/14 for RR against CSK in 2008.

The pitch is a dry, somewhat slow surface that gives pacers early movement and spinners grip through the middle overs. Chasing scores around 170–180 can be difficult due to low bounce and large square boundaries.

In both their Jaipur matches this season, RR have posted 220-plus scores but seen them chased down. The dew factor later in the evening remains a key variable for both sides.

The weather in Jaipur during the match is expected to be clear, with no chances of rain. The toss will likely be crucial, with most captains expected to bowl first given the chasing advantage at this venue.

Both teams arrive in must-win territory. GT enter with 3 wins on the trot. They are looking to break into the top four. Five of GT's 6 wins in IPL 2026 have come while chasing targets. That is a dangerous statistic for Jaipur.