Coming off a dramatic Eliminator just two days earlier, Rajasthan Royals head into Qualifier 2 still buzzing from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s latest statement. The teenage sensation has become the talking point, but RR’s challenge against Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur is about far more than one storyline: it’s also about whether the Titans can avoid another early collapse and whether Rajasthan’s top order can carry its momentum into the second knockout stage.
Key takeaways
- Qualifier 2 is scheduled for Friday, May 29 at 19:30 IST, with Rajasthan Royals taking on Gujarat Titans.
- Gujarat Titans were dismantled by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the other semi-final pathway, conceding 155 in ten overs.
- In this season’s playoffs, GT’s batting imploded early before—after six overs they were 51/5, with Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler all dismissed inside the Powerplay.
- GT’s recent chase record is worrying: in run chases of 210-plus since 2025, they have lost seven consecutive matches.
- Rajasthan’s scouting focus is likely to be Jofra Archer’s battle with Shubman Gill, with Archer dismissing Gill three times in seven T20 innings.
- Weather could play a small role, with precipitation chances around 15 percent in New Chandigarh during the match window.
Qualifier 2: where, when and what to expect
Rajasthan Royals will lock horns with Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Friday, May 29 at 19:30 IST. With the game being played in the north, there’s a hint of rain in the atmosphere—reports from Delhi, roughly 250 kilometres away, mentioned thunderstorms and an orange alert the day before. As of the latest update, the forecast places the likelihood of precipitation at about 15 percent across the duration of the contest.
The afternoons have been exceptionally hot, with temperatures pushing past 40 degrees. In the Eliminator, grounds staff put ropes and protective mats to use to limit the effects of dew during the second innings, a reminder that even in warm conditions, the final overs can become more gripping if the ball slows down.
GT vs RR: head-to-head and the larger context
On overall meetings, Gujarat Titans hold the edge with a 7-3 record. Since the start of 2025, the series between the two sides has been more balanced, with both teams winning two of their four encounters.
There’s also a broader tactical picture behind this matchup. A widely repeated view is that GT operate like a “set-pattern” franchise—big starts from the openers, early breakthroughs from their pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, and then control in the middle overs through Rashid Khan and Jason Holder. Parthiv Patel, GT’s assistant coach, pushed back on that idea in the pre-match build-up, insisting that the Titans have remained comfortable near the top of the table, sitting second until the previous week.
Still, when you look beyond the template, uncomfortable numbers emerge. Since 2025, in chases of 210 runs or more, GT have lost each of their seven such matches. And even when they have reached the business end of games, their bowling has recently struggled in another way: in two of their last three outings, the Titans conceded totals of 240-plus. That sets up a scenario where Rajasthan’s intent in the power phase could matter significantly.
The contrast between the sides’ styles is stark. Rajasthan’s frenetic approach, powered by Yashasvi Jaiswal and the acceleration from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, can outpace Gujarat’s more measured build—especially when the Titans have to recover from early setbacks. Powerplay numbers also take on extra weight in a relatively larger venue like Mullanpur, where big hitters can still carve out momentum without the boundary being too punishing.
Even with the concerns, GT are not without strengths. This season, no team has taken more wickets during the middle overs (between 7 and 15). Their strike rate is the best in that phase, and their dot-ball percentage is also the highest. So if Rajasthan’s top order gets bruised, Gujarat have enough bowling quality to force the contest back towards their side.
Team Watch: Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals enter the game with both Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja listed under an injury cloud, but they did feature in the Eliminator. Parag could only manage limited movement while batting, yet he was on the field for the full contest. RR also chose not to conduct an optional net session, but the expectation remains that both Parag and Jadeja will be available for Qualifier 2.
Tactics and matchups
Jofra Archer has been a major spearhead for Rajasthan, and the early matchup could revolve around his duel with Shubman Gill. Archer has dismissed Gill three times across seven T20 innings, producing an average of 7.20 and a strike rate of 120—numbers that suggest a lopsided contest. On Thursday, Gill looked to have a familiar rhythm in the nets, though he was tested a couple of times by Gurnoor Brar’s pace. In one sequence, Brar’s extra lift created a top edge off Gill’s bat, a type of dismissal Archer would likely aim to engineer using his own deceptive bounce.
Probable XI (Rajasthan Royals)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punja, Brijesh Sharma, Sushant Mishra / Tushar Deshpande / Ravi Bishnoi
Team Watch: Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans have no known injuries in their camp, which keeps their selection plans fairly straightforward.
Tactics and matchups
The central question for Gujarat is how to stop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. There doesn’t appear to be a single, obvious answer, but there is evidence to work from: Sooryavanshi announced himself with a century against the same opposition last year. This season, he has also managed a couple of 30-plus scores versus them. In one of those meetings, he fought a short battle with Siraj—after being hit for a first-ball six, the seamer returned with a sharp bumper.
Rajasthan’s key hitters will likely face Rabada and Siraj in the early overs, particularly since both have been excellent in the Powerplay this year. Meanwhile, another specific concern for Gujarat is Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record against spin, which stands out as a glaring area, with his strike rate listed at 111.11 this season. Jaiswal’s struggles are also tied to Rabada’s impact: he has dismissed Jaiswal three times in six innings.
Probable XI (Gujarat Titans)
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan / Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
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What they said
Parthiv Patel on Sai Sudharsan’s strike-rate: “No, I don’t think there is any kind of temptation to tell Sai Sudharsan to go at a higher strike-rate. He has been very effective. He has been scoring at a fair strike-rate also. It’s not that he is scoring under 100. If someone is scoring at 300, it doesn’t mean that everyone has to strike at 300.”
Dhruv Jurel on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the Eliminator: “His mantra is ‘I don’t want (to) give a damn about any bowler’.”
