JAIPUR: Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill arrived at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur brimming with energy ahead of Saturday’s IPL 2026 meeting with the Rajasthan Royals. Wearing training shorts and a T-shirt, the opener walked into the ground and shared a touching moment with his father, Lakhwinder Singh, positioned near the entrance gate.
Gill greeted his father with a salute first, then followed it up with a high-five. The short clip of the gesture spread quickly online, drawing plenty of warm reactions from fans. He then translated that upbeat pre-match mood into action with a match-defining batting display after Gujarat were sent in to bat.
Quick facts
- Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans (IPL 2026) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
- Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bowl first
- Gujarat Titans posted 229/4 in 20 overs
- Shubman Gill scored 84 off 44 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes)
- Opening stand: 118 runs between Gill and Sai Sudharsan
- Sai Sudharsan made 55 off 36 (six fours, two sixes)
- Washington Sundar finished unbeaten on 37 off 20
- GT batting included cameo support after a hamstring kept Riyan Parag out
Gill struck at a fine tempo to take Gujarat Titans to a commanding total, smashing 84 off 44 balls. His innings featured nine boundaries and four maximums, helping the side land at 229/4 within the 20-over limit.
The captain also set the tone early by building a powerful 118-run opening partnership with Sai Sudharsan. Sudharsan looked fluent throughout his 55-ball 36, striking six fours and clearing the ropes twice as the stand gave GT a strong platform to accelerate from.
Washington Sundar added the finishing lift Gujarat needed, with a crucial cameo of 37 not out from just 20 balls. His unbeaten effort kept the momentum intact and ensured the total finished on a high note.
Captain’s absence shapes the toss call
Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Titans. The move came with an important context: regular captain Riyan Parag was unavailable due to a hamstring injury picked up in the previous match.
With Parag sidelined, Jaiswal led the side in his absence and set the initial plan for Rajasthan. In response, Gujarat Titans made a solitary change to their starting XI, bringing in Prasidh Krishna for Manav Suthar.
Rajasthan Royals also shuffled their lineup, including Shimron Hetmyer and Yash Raj Punja in the playing group.
Playing XIs
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
