Rajasthan Royals are set to host Gujarat Titans in match number 52 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, May 9.
Both the teams are in the race for a place in the playoffs and this has made the upcoming match even more interesting. Royals are at fourth position with six wins and four losses in 10 matches. The Titans also have a similar record, but they sit at number 5 as their net run rate is -0.147 compared to the Royals' 0.510.
These two teams faced each other in the beginning of the tournament on April 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Riyan Parag-led side won a high-scoring thriller by six runs.
Potential impact players for Rajasthan Royals (RR):
Tushar Deshpande: Tushar Deshpande came in as an impact player in the last match against Delhi Capitals and bowled well. He can score runs but also has the ability to take wickets at crucial times.
Ravi Singh: Middle-order batsman, who impressed for the Railways team in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ravi Singh is still waiting for his IPL debut.
Dasun Shanaka: Dasun Shanaka played only one game but did not get a chance to bat. He was later dropped from the team in the last game as the Royals were playing with just three foreign players.
Yashraj Punia: The 19-year-old has played two matches this season and has taken three wickets at an economy rate of 8.25. However, he will have to sit on the bench unless the Royals want him to bowl in conjunction with fellow leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
adam milne: Adam Milne is looking forward to playing his first IPL match since March 2022. It will be difficult for the New Zealand fast bowler to break into the team as Jofra Archer and Nandre Berger have performed well as a pair.
Gujarat Titans (GT):
Rahul Tewatia: If GT bats at number two then Rahul Tewatia is expected to come in as an impact player. He has scored only 78 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 120.
Anuj Rawat: Former RCB player, Anuj Rawat gives GT a solid batting option with his stylish left-handed gameplay. With Tewatia not in great form, the Titans management may give him a chance.
Kulwant Khejolia: Left-arm fast bowler Kulwant Khejroliya has not played a single match so far this season and that is not surprising as the Titans' seam-bowling attack has been excellent throughout the season.
Kumar Kushagra: The talented wicketkeeper-batsman opened the batting in one game when Shubman Gill was injured.
Glenn Phillips: Glenn Phillips was given several chances but failed to capitalize on them and ultimately lost his place in the team to Jason Holder, who has been brilliant so far.
Expert Opinion and Strategies:
home advantage: Rajasthan Royals are the home team but whether they will be able to take advantage of this to their advantage, it will be interesting to see.
recent form: In the last five head-to-head encounters, GT has led with three wins, while RR has won two.
balanced side: Both the teams have strong batting as well as bowling departments. However, the Titans have more players this time.
final prediction:The Titans may be slight favorites in the match. However, if the surface is high-scoring, the chasing team will have the advantage.
Get every cricket update! Follow us: :
Leave a Reply