Rajasthan Royals (RR) will travel to face their western rivals, Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 9th match of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The venue is set to host its first game after hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup final against India and New Zealand.
RR made a winning start to their new campaign in Guwahati, where they recorded an emphatic eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The foundation of the victory was laid by the fast bowlers, especially Joffra Archer and Nandre Berger, who took two wickets each. RR restricted CSK to just 127 runs, with the returning Ravindra Jadeja also taking two wickets.
Chasing a modest target of 128, the 2008 champions were never in doubt of derailment, thanks to an aggressive start from Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The 15-year-old opening batsman was determined to chase the target till he returned to the pavilion after scoring 52 runs in just 17 balls.
Owing to their winning start to the season, RR may have to make little or no changes to their playing eleven when they face GT. The team already has a good combination of aggressive openers, strong finishers and an excellent balance between spin and seam bowling.
Here is RR's strongest predicted XI vs GT, Match 9, IPL 2026:
Top order: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Riyan Parag (C)
One of the strongest opening pairs in the IPL this season, RR can always rely on their top two to provide fast starts to their innings. Suryavanshi Bats with more intent, while Yashasvi Jaiswal supports them really well in scoring a big score after the powerplay.
Captain Riyan Parag has a huge responsibility on his shoulders, not only as a leader in the dressing room but also to replace Sanju Samson as a reliable number three.
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