Gujarat Titans look to extend winning streak against Rajasthan Royals
Gujarat Titans will aim to continue their winning momentum against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday. With both teams level on points, the clash could prove crucial in the IPL playoff race as GT look stronger while RR battle inconsistency in both batting and bowling
Jaipur: An upbeat Gujarat Titans will be determined to continue their winning streak and leapfrog a wobbly Rajasthan Royals in their mid-table Indian Premier League clash here on Saturday.
Only net run rate separates the 2022 champions Gujarat Titans (-0.147) from the fourth-placed 2008 champions Rajasthan Royals (0.510) in the points table, as the two teams have enjoyed similar campaigns so far. Both GT and RR have six wins and four defeats in 10 matches each.
But the Shubman Gill-led side will fancy their chances against the struggling Royals, who have suffered three defeats in their last five matches. The Titans have racked up three wins on the trot and are looking to break into the top four.
Royals captain Riyan Parag struck 90 in RR’s first-innings total of 225 for six, but it was not enough against Delhi Capitals, who overhauled the target with seven wickets and five balls to spare. It was the second successive instance in which the Royals failed to defend a first-innings total in excess of 220.
While Rajasthan Royals are heavily dependent on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (404 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal (312) and even Dhruv Jurel (290), they will need their skipper to deliver big in the lower order, where only Donovan Ferreira (229) has maintained a strike rate of 150 or above.
Jurel has undoubtedly been a vital cog in the Royals’ batting line-up, but the right-handed batter has been guilty of not accelerating sufficiently at the top.
In his last three outings, Jurel has scored 42 off 30 balls, 16 off 20 balls and 42 off 30 balls at No. 3, and these numbers certainly warrant improvement in a season where no first-innings total appears safe.
While IPL 2026 has been even harsher on bowlers, the Royals will have to find solutions to their bowling woes, especially in the middle overs.
For their part, the Titans will be pleased with the way they are peaking at the right time.
Gill (378 runs) has been a consistent run-getter and will be keen to convert his starts into big scores, while Sai Sudharsan (385) will also be determined to make the most of his form, having struck two fifties and a hundred in his last four outings.
Jos Buttler’s (335) return to consistency once again makes the Titans extremely dangerous at the top, while they also have finishers with the requisite skills to handle difficult situations in the lower order.
However, like any top-heavy side, a collapse puts pressure on the lower order, and the Titans failed miserably — getting bowled out for 100 against Mumbai Indians earlier — when that happened.
Kagiso Rabada (16 wickets) has undoubtedly led a high-quality pace attack superbly. The Titans will be pleased with the performances of the troika of Rabada, Prasidh Krishna (12) and Mohammed Siraj (11).
With 220-plus totals having been successfully chased twice at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here, both teams would prefer to bat second.
Match starts at 7:30 pm IST.
