Ahmedabad, Tuesday — Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl first in their IPL 2026 meeting with Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. At the coin toss, both captains walked out — Cummins for SRH and Shubman Gill for GT — and there was an immediate talking point for the home side: Gill was seen donning a different-coloured jersey, while Gujarat Titans turned out in a special lavender kit for the occasion.
Why Gujarat Titans wore a lavender jersey
Gujarat Titans’ players adopted the lavender colour for this match to back the fight against cancer. The special kit set the tone for a contest that carried added urgency in the tournament standings.
Tournament context and team news
Sunrisers Hyderabad currently sit third in the points table, while Gujarat Titans are one place above them in second. Both sides have 14 points from 11 matches, keeping the battle firmly in the upper bracket as the league stage moves closer to its final stretch.
Despite the pressure of a crucial fixture, neither captain made any changes to their playing XI after the toss.
- SRH: third on the points table
- GT: second on the points table
- Points: both teams on 14 points from 11 matches
- Playing XIs: retained by both franchises
What Cummins and Gill said at the toss
Speaking after winning the toss, Cummins said SRH would look to bowl first and assess the surface early. He noted that they haven’t played on this venue before, and suggested that the ball might offer useful clues at the start of the innings.
Cummins also referenced the broader trend that teams batting first have enjoyed more success on this pitch, while acknowledging that match outcomes can still swing due to several variables, including instances where sides have been bowled out cheaply in the first innings.
On the pressure of the stage of the tournament, Cummins played down the idea of the match being a “knockout before the knockout,” saying they feel they have earned the right to take multiple chances with three games remaining.
He also addressed GT’s recent record against SRH, explaining that Abhishek Sharma had raised it in the dressing room and that SRH were approaching the game with a mindset of opportunity rather than fear. Cummins added that the pressure would be on the opposition and confirmed there would be no changes.
For his part, Gill said Gujarat Titans were also looking to bowl first. He framed his thinking around preparation and conditions, stating that SRH’s previous results or statistical comparisons were not the main factor for him. Gill added that the wicket appeared better than what GT had encountered in the most recent matches at the same ground.
Gill stressed the importance of consistency, particularly in thought process and execution, especially with the tournament reaching its most critical phase. He said the team would stick with the same XI.
Playing XIs and impact substitutes
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, R Smaran, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins (capt), Shivang Kumar, Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain.
Impact substitutes:
- Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey
- Gujarat Titans: Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips
