A small slice of drama played out ahead of the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur on Friday, with the toss becoming the headline before a ball was even bowled between the Gujarat Titans and the Rajasthan Royals. The match referee, Prakash Bhatt, had to ask for the toss to be restarted twice after he did not hear Riyan Parag’s call on the first attempt. In the initial procedure, the Royals signalled “heads,” the coin landed “tails,” and that result handed the toss to Shubman Gill’s Gujarat side. Yet the referee ruled that the call had not been clearly picked up, forcing a repeat flip. On the second go, Parag’s appeal of “heads” could be heard loudly, Bhatt confirmed it, and the coin also came down “heads,” allowing the Rajasthan Royals to win the toss and choose to bat first.
Why the toss had to be repeated twice
Shubman Gill’s reaction after the disruption was understandable. He had already won the toss on the opening attempt, only for the process to be redone because the official could not hear what Parag called. Speaking after Rajasthan opted to bat, Gill said he believed his side would have batted first as well. He pointed out that with 40 overs of play already having been accounted for on the surface, he expected the track would not change drastically, but added that the referee’s inability to hear the call from Parag led to the repeat.
- The first toss attempt ended with the Royals calling heads and the coin coming down tails, giving Gujarat the toss win.
- The referee, Prakash Bhatt, did not hear Riyan Parag’s call clearly, so the toss was restarted.
- On the second attempt, Parag’s “heads” was heard, the coin landed heads, and Rajasthan took the toss.
- Gill acknowledged that his frustration was linked to the fact the toss had to be repeated despite Gujarat already getting the initial result.
Gill and the wicket — a familiar debate on intent
Once the toss situation settled, the cameras caught Gill in an animated discussion with Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra. Gill did not appear satisfied, wearing an angry expression while the conversation played out near the officials’ area. Nehra, a calming presence, appeared to settle the captain’s nerves before Gill moved away.
During the toss, Parag explained the thinking behind Rajasthan’s decision to bat first. He said it was a plan he had wanted to follow, given the bowling group the Royals have at their disposal. Parag also referenced the match conditions, noting that the wicket was “pretty much the same” as the previous game. He felt that in the late phase the surface becomes slower, and argued that Rajasthan has more bowlers who can use the slower ball effectively. His message to the group was straightforward: everyone is ready to compete, and the key is playing the best 40 overs rather than focusing on the status of injuries.
- Parag said he wanted to bat first because of the Rajasthan bowling attack.
- He believed the pitch behaves similarly to the previous match but slows in the back end.
- He highlighted that Rajasthan has more bowlers who can make use of slower deliveries.
- He stressed that the tournament is now about execution: whoever plays better cricket over the full 40 overs wins.
- He also acknowledged the support staff’s role in injury and recovery management, while adding that the match demands maximum effort regardless of availability.
Team news: Royals unchanged, Titans make one switch
The playing XI situation followed the usual pattern of selective adjustments. For Qualifier 2, the Rajasthan Royals did not alter their playing 12. The Gujarat Titans, however, made a single change by welcoming Sai Kishore back into the lineup.
- Rajasthan Royals: no changes to the playing XI for Qualifier 2.
- Gujarat Titans: one change, with Sai Kishore returning to the side.
A toss rule reminder from the past
The controversy also carried a historical echo. Gill’s remarks came alongside a note that this was not the first time a toss had to be repeated due to hearing issues. A similar scenario occurred 15 years earlier during the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, where heavy crowd noise made it difficult for the match referee and India captain MS Dhoni to hear Kumar Sangakkara’s call.
