Rajasthan Royals’ IPL journey in 2023 and 2024 has felt uncannily repetitive: a thunderous start that looks like it will steamroll the league, followed by a mid-season fade where momentum slips away—often quickly enough to cost them back-to-back contests. They have, at different points, ended up missing the playoffs or at least the kind of top-two position that once appeared almost certain. Now, with the current campaign moving toward its decisive stretch, the Royals are again staring at the same kind of pattern. Early in April, they looked like the side to beat, regularly dominating the Powerplay with both bat and ball by sending opponents packing for low totals. Then came a short-lived revival—just two games—and since that brief bump, results have swung between good and bad, leaving them in familiar territory that has felt shaky for them at times.
Adding another layer of challenge is the schedule itself. Rajasthan will face Gujarat Titans on Saturday after a full week without competitive cricket. After that, there will be another break of similar length, meaning the next two results could shape how both sides view their week ahead in the points race. A long pause can cool a team’s rhythm, and the Royals will know that firsthand: Royal Challengers Bengaluru, although not in immediate danger zones, have had to absorb defeats both before and after such extended interruptions.
For the Royals, the problem is magnified by the opponent. Gujarat arrive having just strung together a hat-trick of wins, which strengthens the storyline around whether Rajasthan can avoid letting rust creep back into their game. In simple terms, this is a match the Royals would rather not lose—because defeat would quickly turn them into anxious observers while the rest of the week plays out around them.
There is also a specific Jaipur concern. Rajasthan have twice posted totals above 225 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in this season, only to watch those scores get chased down convincingly. That naturally raises the question of whether their bowling unit needs a rethink—especially because their attack’s bite has dulled, with the notable exception of Jofra Archer. The batting order has its own debate too: is Dhruv Jurel still the best option at number three, even though he has not been able to meaningfully shift momentum during stretches against spin?
Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, appear to have fewer selection puzzles. A potentially flat pitch could still introduce uncertainty about whether they can chase down very large targets, but their overall template has remained consistent: they tend to strike early with the new ball, then tighten the screws through the middle overs, leaving even a top-heavy batting line-up with a chase that looks below par. The Titans will be well aware that this matters again on Saturday, because last year—at this exact fixture—Vaibhav Sooryavanshi announced himself with a century off just 35 balls.
With Gujarat on the rise and peaking at the right time, they are likely to show up with confidence, and that is exactly what Rajasthan will try to prevent. A loss on Saturday would not just hurt morale; it could push Rajasthan out of the top four. In other words, this contest carries real weight for both teams’ qualification hopes over the coming fortnight.
Match details and conditions
- When: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans, Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 PM IST
- Where: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
- What to expect: Another hot day with clear skies. With totals of 228 and 225 successfully chased at the venue this season, another high-scoring game is possible. For once, Rajasthan may not mind that scenario, especially because Gujarat can be difficult to tame on tackier surfaces.
Head-to-head
- Gujarat lead 6-3 after nine meetings.
- The Titans also hold a narrow 2-1 advantage in matches played in Jaipur.
- Rajasthan won the reverse encounter earlier this season, with Tushar Deshpande delivering yorkers in a final-over thriller.
Team watch
Rajasthan Royals
- Injuries/Unavailability: No new injuries have been reported by the Royals camp.
- Tactics & Matchups: Nandre Burger’s return across the last three matches reads 1/150 from 11 overs. However, a sharp drop in his and Ravi Bishnoi’s recent form could open the door to tactical changes—possibly involving Adam Milne partnering Archer in the Powerplay.
Probable XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka/Tushar Deshpande, Jofra Archer, Adam Milne, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma
Gujarat Titans
- Injuries/Unavailability: No injuries to report from the Titans camp either.
- Tactics & Matchups: Since Jurel has struggled to free himself against spin—his strike rate of 104.76 versus spin in his last six games—Gujarat could consider introducing Rashid Khan earlier than usual. That approach might require them to step away from the plan of handling the Powerplay primarily through Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada. Prasidh Krishna has been left out of the playing XI for three straight games, but with Manav Suthar unlikely to bowl against an Rajasthan top order stacked with left-handers, Krishna may return.
Probable XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar/Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj
Did you know?
- Rabada has bowled almost two-thirds of his overs in the Powerplay, at 64.1%—the highest share of Powerplay deliveries for him in an IPL season.
- Rabada has also taken 11 wickets in the Powerplay in IPL 2026, again the most in an IPL season for him.
- After their first four matches, Rajasthan posted the tournament’s best figures for batting average, strike rate, and economy rate. Since then, their run rate has hovered close to 10 per over, while their wickets have come at an average of 35.96, placing them in the bottom half of the bowling standings.
- Donovan Ferreira has a strike rate of 204.82 in T20s during overs 16-20 since 2025 — the highest in that time band for a batter.
What they said
- Parthiv Patel, Gujarat Titans’ assistant coach: “Our matches are not high-scoring; we are dismissing teams for 150 (laughs). The high-scoring games you are talking about depend a lot on the conditions. But yes, with the bowling attack we have, we would like to restrict them to as low a score as possible.”
- Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals captain: “I don’t think I need to answer any critics or anyone talking about it. At the end of the day, my job is to get two points. So my score and my innings don’t really matter if we lose the game.”
Riyan Parag’s comments came after he found form with a 50-ball 90 against DC.
