Rajasthan Royals stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal refused to hunt for scapegoats after his side was bundled out in style by the Gujarat Titans, losing by 77 runs in IPL 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday. Rajasthan’s bowling struggled to slow the contest once Gujarat’s top order found rhythm, with the visitors posting 229/4 before Rashid Khan’s four-wicket haul helped seal the outcome.
At a glance
- Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2026
- Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium
- Result: Gujarat Titans won by 77 runs
- Gujarat innings: 229/4
- Key partnership: Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill set the platform
- Rajasthan chase: ended at 152 all out in 16.3 overs
- Rashid Khan: four-wicket haul
- Rajasthan batting highlights: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 36 off 16, Dhruv Jurel 24 off 10
Jaiswal pointed to the challenge of containing boundaries once Gujarat’s openers had settled. He acknowledged that Rajasthan had tried to bowl in good areas, but the Titans were executing their shot-making at the right moments, turning pressure into momentum.
“We were trying to bowl in good spots, but they were batting really well. We were thinking about how to reduce the boundaries and the big hits, but I think they did a lot of things well,” Jaiswal said after the match.
Powerplay pressure and a batting-friendly wicket
From the start, the Royals were pinned back as Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill attacked during the powerplay and kept going through the middle overs. Even with a pace unit that included Jofra Archer, Rajasthan couldn’t generate sustained pressure on a surface that played to batters.
Archer, a regular presence among Rajasthan’s key options this season, had a rare day without wickets and leaked runs while the Titans built their total. Still, Jaiswal stood by the fast bowler and stressed that poor outings happen in cricket, especially in a tournament where form can swing quickly.
“It’s cricket. We all know there are days when you can bowl the way you want and days when you can’t. But he’s been doing so well for us, so I think he’ll bounce back strongly,” Jaiswal added.
Selection talk: Nandre Burger left out
There had been plenty of discussion around Rajasthan’s bowling combination ahead of the game, particularly their decision to leave out left-arm pacer Nandre Burger. When asked about whether it was a tough call, Jaiswal played it down, saying the focus was simply on selecting bowlers who fit the planned overs.
“I didn’t think about it too much. I had a simple plan—who my bowler is and who can give me good spells in the powerplay. So nothing much from my end,” the stand-in captain said.
Brief fightback, then a collapse
Despite the heavy loss, Rajasthan briefly threatened an unlikely chase. Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck 36 off 16 balls, while Dhruv Jurel powered a 24-ball-10 cameo during a fast-moving powerplay that lifted the innings to 78/3 after six overs.
That momentum didn’t last once Gujarat tightened the screws with spin. Rashid struck first, removing Jurel, and then went on to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja along with other batters as the Royals crumbled from a promising position to 152 all out in 16.3 overs.
With the result already beyond reach, Jaiswal chose not to dwell on the defeat. Instead, he underlined the need to learn fast and refocus for the next fixture.
“Nothing much. We’re going to look at what we can do better and focus on the next game—what we can do and what we can learn from this one,” he said.
The defeat also dealt a major hit to Rajasthan’s net run rate, while Gujarat improved their standing in the playoff race with one of their most complete performances of the season.
