With IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 set for May 29 at the New Chandigarh Stadium, Gujarat Titans will face Rajasthan Royals in a high-stakes battle led by Shubman Gill and Riyan Parag respectively. Ahead of the match, former India spinner and analyst Ravichandran Ashwin delivered a confident set of forecasts, backing Gujarat to clear this hurdle in Mullanpur and then go all the way to claim the championship at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31.
Key takeaways
- Ashwin declared he is certain Gujarat Titans will beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on May 29.
- He expects Gujarat to reach the final and win the IPL 2026 title on May 31 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
- His main game-plan concern for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is keeping control against Gujarat’s pace options, including Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj.
- Ashwin argued that even if Rajasthan have the advantage on paper, the match’s unpredictability still favours Gujarat.
- He highlighted Sooryavanshi’s ongoing form, noting his 680-run haul and his leading position in the Orange Cap standings for IPL 2026.
Ashwin’s confident run to the title
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin was emphatic that Gujarat will “100%” get past Rajasthan in Qualifier 2, adding that he could stand by his prediction in writing. He also claimed that if Gujarat does make it through to the final, the team will lift the trophy without hesitation. In his view, the Ahmedabad venue has been measured “to an inch,” implying that Gujarat’s familiarity with the conditions could be a decisive edge when it matters most.
Ashwin’s outlook was equally direct about the final scenario: he believes Gujarat will win their second IPL title. He framed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s role as secondary, suggesting that Bengaluru’s only realistic path would be to stop Gujarat in Mullanpur itself, because he sees little chance of them derailing Gujarat’s momentum once the final moves to Ahmedabad—where Gujarat will enjoy home advantage.
Why Gujarat’s consistency—and their redemption angle—matters
If Gujarat overcomes an in-form Rajasthan side on May 29, Ashwin’s prediction sets up a title fight on May 31. Gujarat previously won the IPL in their debut season in 2022, but they failed to defend the crown in 2023 under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. In the years since, Ashwin pointed to Gujarat’s overall steadiness, stating that the franchise has been among the most consistent units in the league, missing the playoffs only once—during the 2024 season—when the team shifted from Pandya’s leadership to Shubman Gill.
Now established under Gill, Gujarat also carries a specific redemption narrative. Ashwin noted that they fell short against Mumbai Indians in the 2025 Eliminator at the same venue in Mullanpur. At the same time, he stressed that Gujarat’s comfort with Ahmedabad conditions—should they reach the final—adds another layer to their case.
Rajasthan’s paper edge, Gujarat’s favourite status, and the Vaibhav focus
While Ashwin acknowledged that Rajasthan may hold both numerical strength and tactical advantages on paper, he still named Gujarat as his preferred side to qualify. His reasoning leaned on the volatile nature of T20 cricket, where game states can flip quickly regardless of pre-match analysis.
Within that framework, Ashwin singled out Rajasthan’s 15-year-old batting prospect, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to stay central to the contest. He backed the youngster to continue a red-hot run, pointing out that Sooryavanshi has already scored 680 runs and is currently atop the Orange Cap standings in IPL 2026.
However, Ashwin also sounded a cautionary note. He referenced that Sooryavanshi has managed scores of 31 and 36 in Rajasthan’s two earlier meetings against Gujarat this season. Based on those encounters, Ashwin warned him to remain careful against Gujarat’s pace threats—Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj—emphasising that the youngster should not let boundaries come in a careless, uncontrolled way.
At the same time, Ashwin urged Sooryavanshi to turn those beginnings into something bigger, suggesting that his explosive starts must translate into a match-defining contribution. He compared the hope to Sooryavanshi’s own blistering 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, which Ashwin described as a delight for fans to watch.
Final verdict for Qualifier 2
Despite wanting Sooryavanshi to keep showing his talent and X-factor in the match, Ashwin reiterated that Gujarat remains his pick to progress. In his concluding assessment, he said Rajasthan should, in terms of analysis, be the side to beat Gujarat in Qualifier 2—yet he still expects Gujarat to win. He again pointed to Sooryavanshi as a potential major factor, while underlining that the youngster must be disciplined against Siraj and Rabada. Ultimately, Ashwin insisted that Gujarat are the team he strongly believes will emerge victorious and carry the momentum to lift the IPL 2026 trophy on May 31.
