GT VS RR: GT, RR Battle For A Place In Final.

We are in the penultimate game of IPL 2026 as Qualifier 2 is set to take place in New Chandigarh. It is the semi-final we can say, as the winner goes to Ahmedabad for the summit clash, while the loser goes home. It’s the Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in New Chandigarh. One team comes into this clash from a demoralising loss in Qualifier 1, while the other got a big win in the Eliminator.

GT, under Shubman Gill, had a fantastic league stage and earned the right to have two chances to reach the summit clash. Well, here’s the second chance. After being outplayed by the RCB team in Dharamsala, GT will look to bounce back and reach the final in front of their home crowd. While RR will be buoyant after their big win over SRH, under Riyan Parag, they are doing well and will look to punch above their weight to reach the final. The stage is set for an interesting clash in New Chandigarh.

Overview. 

The stage is set for the penultimate game of IPL 2026 as the Gujarat Titans (GT) face the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur later tonight. For the record, the Rajasthan Royals are unbeaten at this venue this season, while the Gujarat Titans have lost two of the three matches that they have played over here. The winner goes to Ahmedabad, the loser goes home. It’s as simple as that. There are no second chances from here.

But all the talk has been about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of this clash, as a few days ago, he produced an innings for the ages that had some of the greats of the game applauding. The youngster smashed 12 sixes in a breathtaking 29-ball 97 and came within touching distance of recording the fastest century in IPL history. However, with just three runs needed for the milestone, he was caught near the boundary attempting another maximum.

Interestingly, his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, faced the same number of deliveries but scored only 29 runs. Dhurv Jurel chipped in with a half-century as the Royals posted 243/8 after being asked to bat first. Yet, skipper Riyan Parag felt his side left runs on the table and admitted after the match that they could have finished better with the bat.

With the ball, Jofra Archer continued his excellent run of form, rattling Sunrisers Hyderabad with sheer pace in the power play. The England quick dismissed all three left-handers in Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan to leave SRH reeling early. Much like SRH, the Gujarat Titans rely heavily on their top order. If Archer can strike early once again and expose the middle-order inside the power play, Rajasthan could have one foot in the final.

Nandre Burger, Sushant Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets apiece as the Rajasthan Royals bowled Sunrisers Hyderabad out for 196 to move one step closer to a second IPL title.

In contrast, the Gujarat Titans endured a night to forget against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1. Bowling first in Dharamsala, GT conceded 254/5, which was the highest total ever recorded in an IPL playoff match. GT’s much-vaunted bowling attack had no answers as the RCB batters tore into them from the outset. Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder claimed two wickets each, while Prasidh Krishna chipped in with one wicket. However, both Rabada and Krishna conceded more than 50 runs, while Mohammed Siraj went wicketless and leaked 46 runs in three overs.

Things did not improve with the bat either. Sai Sudharsan’s stay ended bizarrely as he lost grip of his bat, which ricocheted back into the stumps. Shubman Gill struggled for timing and managed 2 off 7 deliveries. Jos Buttler briefly threatened to shift the momentum with a quickfire 29 off 11 balls, but his innings was cut short by Josh Hazlewood. Rahul Tewatia was the lone bright spot for GT, fighting till the very end with a valiant 68 off 43 deliveries. Apart from him, no other batter managed to reach double figures.

The two teams met twice during the league stage, with both sides winning one game each. On both occasions, the team batting first emerged victorious. The stage is set, and it remains to be seen which team emerges victorious at the end of the night. Who will face RCB in the final? Only time will tell.

Head-To-Head. 

GT and RR have played against each other on 10 occasions, with GT holding the upper hand by 7 matches to 3, including the 2022 final in Ahmedabad. At Mullanpur, RR have played 4 and won 4 games there, while GT have played 3 and won 1 and lost twice. These two teams met against each other twice this season. In Ahmedabad, RR managed to beat GT by 6 runs thanks to superb death bowling by Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande.

While in Jaipur, GT thrashed RR by 77 runs after posting 229 on the board and with Rashid Khan firing with 4 wickets, helped the team win the contest. Let’s see what happens when they meet in the playoffs.

Pitch & Weather Report. 

The pitch at Mullanpur will be balanced with strong bounce and pace. It typically carries a small amount of grass, which gives pacers additional carry on the power play and early seam movement. Stroke-makers can play freely as the ball gets older because the surface settles beautifully and becomes batsman-friendly, so a high-scoring match is expected.

For the Qualifier 2 match later tonight in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, it is expected to be hot and largely sunny. Highs of 38-40 degrees Celsius and lows of about 28 degrees Celsius are anticipated. Sunny skies are expected for the game, but partly overcast skies are expected during the day, with a low possibility of scattered showers. There is no chance of rain during the match.

Predicted/Probable Playing XIs of both sides. 

GT XI: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Arshad Khan/Sai Kishore.

RR XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Punja.

Key Players to watch out for in this clash. 

Sai Sudharsan: The left-hander from Tamil Nadu has been the rock for GT at the top of the order. He has been in a rich vein of form, and before the last match, he had 5 scores of 50+ in a row. He would want to carry his overall good form into this match. This is a big game, and you want your big players stepping up. There is no reason why Sai can’t do it again and lead his team to an imposing total.

Kagiso Rabada: Kagiso Rabada has been a revelation for GT this season. His spells with the new ball have been lethal alongside Siraj. With RR dependent on their top 3, the onus will be on Rabada to get early wickets, and if they can get Vaibhav out cheaply, RR may collapse for all we know. It is imperative that Rabada gets it right and does well in New Chandigarh.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the town lately and rightly so, after what transpired on Wednesday night. The biggest challenge for the 15-year-old will be whether he can keep up the same intensity and follow it up in the next game. It is just a day’s gap between the two games, and Vaibhav will have to be at his best against a quality GT attack. If Vaibhav fires and stays there for 10-11 overs, the match could be sealed there and there. He is going to be a key player in this crucial clash.

Jofra Archer: Jofra Archer is a key player for the Rajasthan Royals as he is the spearhead with the ball. He has been amongst the wickets lately and will want to strike early in power play, much like he did against MI and, more importantly, SRH in the last game. GT, much like RR are dependent on the top 3 for the bulk of the scoring and if Archer can dismantle the top 3 inside the power play, it may go a long way in deciding the outcome of the match. Archer’s support cast is not as potent as GT’s bowling line-up, making Archer’s role and performance crucial.

Key Stats and Records to look out for in this clash. 

• 229/4 by Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals is the highest total ever made between the two teams on May 9th, 2026.
• 118/10 by Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans is the lowest total recorded between the two teams on May 5th, 2023.
• GT’s win by 77 runs when the target was 230 against RR in Jaipur on May 9th, 2026, is the biggest in terms of runs.
• GT’s 9-wicket win on May 5th, 2023 against RR in Jaipur on May 5th, 2023 is the biggest win in terms of wickets.
• Shubman Gill’s 416 runs in nine matches for Gujarat Titans against RR is the most scored by an individual.
• The highest individual score belongs to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as he scored 101 runs from 38 balls for RR in Jaipur on April 28th, 2025.
• 15 sixes each by Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are the most sixes hit by an individual in meetings between these two teams.
• There have been 3 scores of 50+ each by Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill for Gujarat Titans vs RR.
• The most wickets taken by an individual in this battle belong to Rashid Khan, who has 15 wickets in 10 matches for GT.
• The best bowling figures also belong to Rashid Khan, who had figures of 4/33 in 4 overs for GT against RR in Jaipur on May 9th, 2026.
• Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia have played 10 matches each for the Gujarat Titans against the Rajasthan Royals.

Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match. 

This is the virtual semi-final, and anything can happen. The winner goes to Ahmedabad, while the loser goes home. If we look at both teams on paper and on form, there is no question that GT starts this match as favourites. They should tear RR apart. But count RR out at your own peril. They can strike GT hard with individual performances. Team-wise, GT are a better side. We reckon it will be RCB vs GT final in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.

Let’s see how Qualifier 2 pans out and whether the underdog story of RR continues, or GT comes up with a professional, strong performance. A cracking game awaits us all.

Also Read: GT vs RR: GT Eager To Get Points On Table Against High-Flying RR