RR vs GT : Dominant GT Aims To Continue Winning Run Against A Depleted RR

Rajasthan Royals(RR) are set to collide with Gujarat Titans(GT) in the 47th match of IPL 2025 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Currently, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) are placed in ninth position on the points table. On the other hand, the Gujarat Titans(GT) , as of now, stand at the second position in the points table.

Rajasthan Royals’ return to Jaipur, their home city, after a fortnight is likely to be uncomfortably warm. And the summer heat is not the only reason. With three losses on the road since they last played a home game, has left them with only a mathematical possibility of qualifying for the playoffs.

On their return to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, they find themselves set to play with an opposition with a different motive. At this point, on paper, Gujarat Titans(GT) and Rajasthan Royals(RR) are staring at two extreme possibilities. One – with the joint most wins this season so far – is aiming to clinch the top spot in the league phase, while the other – with the joint-least wins – is hoping to avoid the wooden spoon. For that reason as the primary driver, the contest on Monday evening holds relevance.

RR vs GT : Previous Performances

Gujarat Titans are having a stunning season after the debacle last year. They have won six out of their first eight games and are well on course to reach the playoffs. Shubman Gill has led the team from the front. Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have also scored runs consistently. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna is leading the charts for top wicket-takers in the season, while Mohammad Siraj is also in excellent form. Gujarat are coming into this clash on the back of a 39-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

On the other hand, it wouldn’t have been as terrible a position for Royals as they find themselves in now had they not come out second-best in three close encounters where they were positioned to win. That’s not it. The spinners not turning up, loss of form for crucial players and the partial availability of their captain, Sanju Samson has all played its part to leave them with only two victories in nine games, and none so far in their primary home ground.

There is ample reason to believe that Royals have been much better than where they find themselves on the points table. But that’s visibly not encouraging enough for them now. The new season and the new cycle have posed new challenges to Royals, and even with mathematical possibility of making it through to the playoffs on, they have already thrown in the towel. Maybe seeking respite from all the heat!

Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are having a forgettable campaign. They are languishing at No. 9 on the points table, with two wins and seven defeats after playing nine matches. Riyan Parag has led the team in five matches in the absence of Sanju Samson, and the inaugural champions have suffered four defeats under the Assam all-rounder. The side has lost matches from winning positions, especially while chasing, which is a concern.

In their last encounter, they failed to score 18 runs off the last two overs with five wickets remaining at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. While the Royals have a mathematical chance to reach the playoffs, they would want to focus on one game at a time now

RR vs GT : Head to Head

Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans have faced each other 7 times In the history of IPL, in which the Rajasthan Royals won only 1 match and the Gujarat Titans won 6 matches. Gujarat Titans have 6-1 win-loss record against Rajasthan Royals, winning both their encounters in Jaipur

RR vs GT : Pitch and Weather Report

The surface here will be a balanced one with good help for both pacers and spinners. Both teams will prefer chasing at this venue. Four of the seven games in Jaipur have been won by the chasing side since last year, with the average first innings score being 184. Day temperatures have crossed 40 degrees Celsius; while the evenings will be a tad cooler, there’s no escaping the oppressive heat that will take a toll on the players’ fitness.

Run scoring hasn’t been the easiest in Jaipur, but that has allowed for a fair contest between the batters and bowlers. Expect another encounter where score in the range of 170-190 could provide for a thrilling contest.

RR vs GT : Big Picture : RR and GT – Two teams with contrasting runs

Rajasthan Royals need only look as far back as 2024 – the example of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, specifically, for inspiration. They made a stirring run to the playoffs at the back end, surging to six straight wins and qualifying with 14 points. RR need five on the bounce to get to the same points, but do they have the belief, especially after failing to close out three regulation chases?

Their climb up the points table will hard, not least because they now face Gujarat Titans, who have quietly built one of the most complete bowling units of IPL 2025, even as Rashid Khan has only shown flashes of his best.

Prasidh Krishna, back in the IPL after a long injury layoff, is in the form of his life: 16 wickets at 14.12 and economy rate of 7.29. Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore isn’t far behind, with 12 wickets at 16.33 and an economy of 8.22. Then there’s Mohammed Siraj, bringing the heat, especially in the powerplay, with his zip and late swing.

Their batting is equally settled. Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan may not go wham-bam from the start, but they’ve mastered the art of building an innings. Their 448 partnership runs are the highest by any pair this season. They served another reminder of this chemistry during a 114-run opening stand in their previous outing against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.

Sai Sudharsan, Gill and Buttler – the former RR star – combined have faced over 80 balls in seven of GT’s eight matches. The formidable top three have taken pressure off a middle order that may seem slightly undercooked on the surface, but they’ve had their moments, like when Rahul Tewatia finished off a final-over chase against Delhi Capitals.

RR, by contrast, are a team in search of the right combinations, despite being the fastest scoring team in the powerplay (10.38) along with Punjab Kings (10.37). And that’s because they haven’t been able to maximise Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fast starts and a recent surge in form.

Sanju Samson is still injured. Coach Rahul Dravid isn’t sure of a recovery time frame yet. Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer have all struggled for batting rhythm, having now seen three seemingly straightforward chases turn pear-shaped. The burden of winning seems to have fallen squarely on Jaiswal with the bat and Jofra Archer with the ball. GT are surging toward a top two finish. RR are simply trying to stay afloat, having now lost five games on the trot.

RR vs GT : In the Spotlight : Dhruv Jurel

RR vs GT : Vital Stats that matters

• Jaiswal is 37 away from 2000 IPL runs. He’ll become the third-fastest Indian after Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 innings) and KL Rahul (60 innings) to get here. His 15 powerplay sixes are also the most by a batter this season.
• Archer has a favourable match-up against Gil in IPL: three dismissals in five innings Gill has managed just 10 runs while striking at 67.
• Hetmyer’s death overs strike rate (156) has considerably dropped from 200 and 192 over the last two seasons.
• GT’s top three are averaging (53.9), the highest this season.
• GT’s middle-overs batting has improved drastically from last season. Their strike rate has jumped from 142 to 165, and their average has more than doubled from 26.8 to 61.1.

RR vs GT : Team News for RR and GT

Rajasthan Royals:

Injuries/Unavailability: Sanju Samson will continue to sit out, and Riyan Parag will lead the side again. Tushar Deshpande went for 36 in two wicketless overs in RR’s last game. He hasn’t bowled his full quota in three of their last five games. Akash Madhwal is a tempting option to replace him.

Tactics & Matchups: Jofra Archer could be critical upfront. He has dismissed Shubman Gill thrice in the 15-ball face-off between the duo in IPL. Gill has managed to score only 10 runs against the English pacer. He hasn’t had it much better against the other Royals pacers either. Akash Madhwal and Tushar Deshpande have also dismissed him twice each while he has scored at a strike rate of 65.62 against Sandeep Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande/Shubham Dubey

Gujarat Titans:

Injuries/Unavailability: Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee are likely to be unavailable for the contest.GT look settled. They’ll likely remain unchanged.

Tactics & Matchups: Mohammed Siraj, who has the highest dot-ball percentage this season could be handy to keep the Royals batters in check in the powerplay, a phase in which they have dominated.

Gujarat Titans Probable XII: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudarshan, Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma

RR vs GT Fantasy Playing XI : Jos Buttler, Dhruv Jurel, Sai Sudharsan (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal (vc), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Wanindu Hasaranga, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

RR vs GT : Probable Best Performers