Rajasthan Royals edged Gujarat Titans by six runs in a nail-biting finish to register their second victory in as many matches. The contest unfolded at the Narendra Modi Stadium and featured a pair of standout scores in the seventies from Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharsan, yet Sudharsan’s innings didn’t find enough backing as Titans fell short in their opening home outing of IPL 2026. Tushar Deshpande delivered under pressure at the death, defending 11 runs in the last over to secure a remarkable win for the Royals.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 210/6 (20 overs) [Dhruv Jurel 75 (42), Yashasvi Jaiswal 55 (36); Kagiso Rabada 2/42] beat Gujarat Titans 204/8 (20 overs) [Sai Sudharsan 73 (44); Ravi Bishnoi 4/41, Tushar Deshpande 1/24] by 6 runs.
Start from the end This was the sort of game Gujarat Titans often manage to close out, particularly in the way champions did in 2022, while it was also the type of match Royals have struggled to win in recent seasons. Titans identified two key moments. In the 12th over, they were cruising at 127 for 2, but once the middle overs arrived, they lost 3 wickets for just 6 runs, slowing the chase dramatically. Still, when the match looked destined to slip away, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada combined for a 43-run partnership off 30 balls to bring the equation back into play. With 11 runs required off the final six balls, all it took was one boundary to swing the contest fully.
Deshpande, however, kept his nerve and hit his yorker areas at exactly the right time. There was a moment of possibility when a slot ball was presented to Rashid Khan, but he cut it straight to sweeper cover where Jofra Archer held on. Even a six on the last ball could have forced a tie, but Ashok Sharma couldn’t make the most of a full toss, and that miss sealed the Royals’ narrow triumph.
Wait, stand-in captain Rashid? Yes—Rashid Khan captained Gujarat Titans in Shubman Gill’s absence. Gill missed his first match for the franchise due to a muscle spasm, ending a streak of 61 straight appearances since the team’s beginning. Rashid stepped in as captain, and although he didn’t win the toss, he still got his preferred outcome because Riyan Parag chose to bat. That decision marked the first time a captain opted to bat first in IPL 2026.
Back to the top, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a hundred in this fixture last year… Vaibhav Sooryavanshi didn’t reach the same heights this evening, but he still offered a sharp start with a quick 31 off 18 balls. His innings included a spectacular upper-cut for six off an Ashok Sharma delivery clocked at 149 kph. This time, though, he wasn’t carrying the opening responsibility alone. Yashasvi Jaiswal matched him with similar intent—finding length early and striking with confidence over mid-on and mid-off.
Gujarat Titans made life difficult for themselves as well. Mohammed Siraj lacked control, and at crucial times the fielding side dropped chances and also missed run-out opportunities. Royals capitalised immediately: the openers raced to 69 in the Powerplay, and their momentum pushed Rajasthan’s combined total to 567 runs from just nine innings as a pair, with an average of 63 at a run rate of 11.97.
The second act feat. Dhruv Jurel After the Powerplay, Rashid Khan struck right away to break the opening partnership, dismissing Sooryavanshi and allowing Titans to tighten things up. Gujarat then managed four disciplined overs that produced only 30 runs, putting pressure on Jurel and forcing him to rebuild.
Jurel initially looked under the cosh, being 11 off 12 before he started finding boundaries off Rashid. Siraj’s difficulties continued, and he conceded another 15 in his return over. Yet Royals didn’t maintain the same flow for long as Jaiswal fell for 55 off 36 balls, bowled by Rabada while trying to free his arms. Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer both began with big hits, but their starts didn’t last, leaving Jurel to anchor and then accelerate.
He delivered on both fronts. With five fours and five sixes, Jurel finished unbeaten in impact—his finishing burst took Rajasthan to 210, supported by a strike rate of 178.57.
That happened… Ashok Sharma delivered the fastest ball of the season so far at 154.6 kph, producing a fierce near-yorker that Jurel did well to dig out. It was another encouraging outing for the youngster, who built on his previous performances: after earlier figures of 1 for 31 against Punjab Kings, he followed that up with 1 for 37 in this match.
Sai steps up in Gill’s absence Kumar Kushagra, drafted in for Gill, was steady rather than flashy with his 18 in his Titans debut. Still, he contributed to a strong 78-run opening stand with Sai Sudharsan, which set the chase in motion. Sudharsan was fluent immediately, getting off the mark with a slash over third man off Jofra Archer. Archer was costly early as well, conceding 25 in his first two overs, and Titans reached 56 at the end of the Powerplay.
Sudharsan carried that rhythm forward, with a late cut off Ravindra Jadeja standing out. He also took on Riyan Parag and Nandre Burger to complete his seventh half-century in Ahmedabad. Once Titans were 103 for 1, the chase looked firmly under control.
Ravi Bishnoi turns the game The match tilted decisively once Ravi Bishnoi came into the attack in the 11th over. He struck immediately with his fourth ball, removing Sudharsan with a googly. In the very next over, Bishnoi added two more wickets by dismissing Glenn Phillips and Washington Sundar, triggering a collapse. Soon after, Jos Buttler top-edged a pull, and Gujarat slipped to 133 for 5.
Rahul Tewatia briefly fought back, but Bishnoi returned to complete a four-wicket haul, finishing with 4 for 31—his first IPL four-for. By 161 for 7, the chase had nearly run out of steam. Rashid and Rabada revived the pursuit, but Deshpande ensured the final overs belonged to Rajasthan.
What next for the teams? Rajasthan Royals travel to Guwahati to face Mumbai Indians on April 7. Gujarat Titans then take on Delhi Capitals the following day at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
