RR keep their cool, GT lose their way in Ahmedabad nail-biter

Rajasthan Royals clinched a thrilling six-run win over Gujarat Titans to record their second win in two games. The pulsating contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium was shaped by two excellent seventies from Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharsan, but the latter lacked enough support as Titans fell short in their first home game of IPL 2026. Tushar Deshpande held his nerve at the death, defending 11 in the final over to pull off a heist.

Match in phases

Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 210/6 in 20 overs [Dhruv Jurel 75 (42), Yashasvi Jaiswal 55 (36); Kagiso Rabada 2-42] beat Gujarat Titans 204/8 in 20 overs [Sai Sudharsan 73 (44); Ravi Bishnoi 4-41, Tushar Deshpande 1-24] by 6 runs

Start from the end

This was the kind of game Gujarat Titans routinely won in their title-winning 2022 season, and the sort Royals kept losing last year. Titans will look back at two decisive passages. At 127 for 2 in 12 overs, they were cruising, before losing 3 for 6 through the middle overs to stall the chase. Yet, when the game seemed gone, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada revived hopes with a 43-run stand off 30 balls.

From 11 off 6, it needed just one boundary to tilt the game. Deshpande, though, nailed his yorkers under pressure. There was one opportunity - a slot ball to Rashid - but he sliced it to sweeper cover where Jofra Archer held on. A final-ball six could still have forced a tie, but Ashok Sharma failed to capitalise on a full toss, sealing a narrow Royals win.

Wait, stand-in captain Rashid?

Yes. Shubman Gill missed his first game for Gujarat Titans with a muscle spasm, ending a run of 61 consecutive appearances since the franchise's inception. Rashid Khan stepped in. He didn't win the toss, but got his preferred option anyway as Riyan Parag opted to bat - the first captain to do so in IPL 2026.

Back to the top, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a hundred in this fixture last year...

There wasn't one tonight, but he still sparkled, an 18-ball 31 that set the tone, highlighted by a stunning upper-cut for six off a 149 kph delivery from Ashok Sharma. This time though, he wasn't overshadowing his opening partner.

Yashasvi Jaiswal matched him shot for shot and audacity for audacity, picking length early and hitting cleanly over mid-on and mid-off. Titans didn't help themselves. Mohammed Siraj struggled for control, while fielders put down half chances and missed run-out opportunities. RR made them pay. The openers raced to 69 in the Powerplay, taking their tally as a pair to 567 runs in just nine innings, averaging 63 at a run rate of 11.97.

The second act feat. Dhruv Jurel

Rashid broke the opening stand immediately after the Powerplay, dismissing Sooryavanshi and helping Titans string together four tight overs that yielded only 30 runs. Jurel had to rebuild. He was 11 off 12 before finding his range with boundaries off Rashid. Siraj's struggles continued, conceding another 15 in his comeback over, but Royals lost momentum again when Jaiswal fell for a 36-ball 55, bowled by Rabada while trying to make room.

Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer both began with sixes but didn't last, leaving Jurel to anchor and accelerate. He did both. Five fours and five sixes later, he finished with a strike rate of 178.57, powering Royals to 210.

That happened...

Ashok Sharma clocked 154.6 kph - the fastest delivery of the season so far - a searing near-yorker that Jurel did well to dig out. It capped another promising outing for the youngster, who followed up his previous spell with 1 for 37 after 1 for 31 against Punjab Kings.

Sai steps up in Gill's absence

Kumar Kushagra, filling in for Gill, was steady rather than spectacular for his 18 in his Titans debut, but played his part in a 78-run opening stand dominated by Sai Sudharsan.

Sudharsan was fluent from the start, opening his account with a slash over third man off Jofra Archer. Archer went for 25 in his first two overs as Titans reached 56 in the Powerplay. He carried that form forward. A late cut off Ravindra Jadeja stood out, while he took on Riyan Parag and Nandre Burger to bring up his seventh half-century in Ahmedabad. At 103 for 1, Titans were firmly in control.

Ravi Bishnoi turns the game

Introduced in the 11th over, he struck with his fourth ball, removing Sudharsan with a googly. In his next over, he dismissed Glenn Phillips and Washington Sundar, triggering a collapse. When Jos Buttler top-edged a pull soon after, Titans had slipped to 133 for 5. Rahul Tewatia briefly counterattacked, but Bishnoi returned to complete a four-wicket haul (4 for 31), his first in the IPL.

At 161 for 7, the chase had nearly fizzled out. Rashid and Rabada revived it, but Deshpande had the final say.

What next for the teams?

Royals head to Guwahati to face Mumbai Indians on April 7. Gujarat Titans play Delhi Capitals the following day at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.