Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026 Qualifier 2
Match summary
Gujarat Titans meet Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at Mullanpur on 29 May. Form, key players, pitch, weather and expected scores.
Match details
| Match | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Qualifier 2 |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 29 May 2026 |
| Start time | 2:00 pm GMT / 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Rajasthan Royals |
| Toss pick | Gujarat Titans |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals meet in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026, with a place in the final riding on the result. Gujarat finished second in the league phase with nine wins from 14 games under Shubman Gill, but they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 and will want a fix for the top-order wobbles that cost them.
Their batting has been built on Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. Gill has 618 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 159.28, and Buttler has added 498 at a similar rate. Washington Sundar has 311 runs, and Rahul Tewatia’s 68 against RCB was a rare middle-order highlight. In the attack, Kagiso Rabada has 26 wickets, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna share 32, Jason Holder has 15 in nine matches and Rashid Khan has 19.
Rajasthan, led by Riyan Parag, sealed their playoff place with a win over Mumbai Indians and then beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator at Mullanpur, where 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck 97 off 29 balls with 12 sixes. He has 680 runs at a strike rate of 242.86, while Yashasvi Jaiswal has 426 and Dhruv Jurel 508. Jofra Archer has 24 wickets, with Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma on 13 each, and Ravi Bishnoi, Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Yash Raj Punja (nine wickets) supply spin.
Mullanpur usually offers a balanced surface. The hard pitch gives good pace and bounce, so batters can play their shots once set, while quicks get some help and extra carry with the new ball. The wicket tends to ease for batting as the game goes on, and spinners may find a little grip in the middle overs. Totals of 165–180 are generally competitive, and anything beyond 180 puts real pressure on the chasing side.
It is expected to be hot and breezy at the 7:30 pm local start, at around 33–35°C under partly cloudy, hazy skies. Humidity should be moderate and the steady wind may help the seamers. A few isolated thunderstorms are possible in nearby areas later on, but the forecast suggests little risk of rain interruptions.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 185–200 | – |
| Second innings | 175–190 | – |
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan arrive with momentum after a dominant Eliminator, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s strike rate and Jofra Archer’s early wickets give them the edge over a Gujarat side still licking its wounds.
Toss pick: Gujarat Titans
FAQ
What is at stake in this match?
It is Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026, so the winner goes through to the final.
Which players have scored the most runs for each side?
Shubman Gill has 618 runs for Gujarat, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi leads the Orange Cap race for Rajasthan with 680.
Will dew matter?
Dew may arrive in the second innings and make life harder for spinners, so a total near 190 is considered competitive.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Gujarat Titans
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gillc
- Jos Buttlerwk
- Washington Sundar
- Nishant Sindhu
- Jason Holder
- Rashid Khan
- Arshad Khan
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
Rajasthan Royals
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Dhruv Jurelwk
- Riyan Paragc
- Donovan Ferreira
- Dasun Shanaka
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jofra Archer
- Nandre Burger
- Brijesh Sharma
- Yash Raj Punja
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals that we covered.