Rajasthan Royals defeat Gujarat Titans by six runs in IPL 2026 thriller at Narendra Modi Stadium

Rajasthan Royals registered a tense six-run victory over Gujarat Titans in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League 2026, played under lights at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Batting first after winning the toss, Rajasthan Royals posted 210 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs. Gujarat Titans fell short in their chase, finishing at 204 for 8, despite a late counter-attack from the lower order that took the contest deep into the final ball.

The result saw Rajasthan Royals move to the top of the Indian Premier League 2026 points table, while Gujarat Titans slipped to seventh place following their second defeat in as many matches. The match was played in the absence of Gujarat Titans’ regular captain Shubman Gill, who was ruled out with a muscle spasm, leaving Rashid Khan to lead the side.

How did Rajasthan Royals build their total of 210 for 6 at the Narendra Modi Stadium?

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag made the unconventional choice of batting first on a pitch historically suited to chasing sides in Ahmedabad. The decision was vindicated by a blistering opening partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who put on 70 runs inside the first seven overs and set the tone for the innings.

Sooryavanshi contributed a quickfire 31 off 18 balls before departing in the sixth over, caught at deep midwicket off the bowling of Rashid Khan. Jaiswal continued to build, eventually making 55 off 36 deliveries, his innings punctuated by a range of attacking strokes that demonstrated his command of the batting-friendly Ahmedabad surface. Jaiswal was dismissed in the 13th over, bowled by a delivery that found the gap between bat and pad.

The innings was defined primarily by a career-best knock from wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel. Coming in at number three, Jurel anchored the Rajasthan Royals innings through the middle overs and then accelerated sharply through the death, striking five fours and five sixes in a superb 75 off 42 balls. Jurel’s knock bridged the gap between the explosive powerplay and the final surge, ensuring Rajasthan Royals reached 210 for 6 despite losing Riyan Parag for 9 and Shimron Hetmyer for 29 in the middle period.

For Gujarat Titans, Kagiso Rabada was the most effective bowler, returning figures of 2 for 42 from his four overs. Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna each claimed one wicket. Mohammed Siraj was expensive, conceding 48 runs in his allocation, though he did dismiss Jurel in the 20th over to bring the innings to a close. Rajasthan Royals deployed Ravi Bishnoi as their Impact Player substitute for Donovan Ferreira at the end of their own innings, in anticipation of the bowling challenge to come.

How did Gujarat Titans respond in their Indian Premier League 2026 chase of 211?

Gujarat Titans launched their chase with positive intent. In the absence of Shubman Gill, Kumar Kushagra was promoted to open alongside Sai Sudharsan. The pair put on 78 runs for the first wicket in 47 balls, with Sudharsan taking primary responsibility for pushing the scoring rate while Kushagra settled into the innings at the top of the order.

Sudharsan produced a composed and aggressive knock of 73 off 44 deliveries, including nine fours and three sixes, at a strike rate of 165.91. He brought up his seventh T20 half-century at the Narendra Modi Stadium and threatened to single-handedly take Gujarat Titans to their target. Kushagra was removed for 18 in the eighth over, caught at long-on off the bowling of Riyan Parag, and Sudharsan followed in the 11th over, miscuing a pull shot off Ravi Bishnoi to be caught at deep backward square leg by Tushar Deshpande.

How did Ravi Bishnoi dismantle Gujarat Titans’ middle order to shift the match towards Rajasthan Royals?

The decisive phase of the Gujarat Titans innings came between the 12th and 15th overs, during which six wickets fell for 27 runs. Ravi Bishnoi, introduced as the Impact Player substitute and bowling his trademark leg-spin and googly combinations, took four wickets for 41 runs in his allotted four overs and was named Player of the Match for his contribution.

Glenn Phillips was dismissed for 20 in the 12th over, caught at long-on off Bishnoi by Jofra Archer. Washington Sundar followed two balls later, pulling a delivery straight to deep midwicket for 4. Jos Buttler, who had struggled for timing through his innings, became Bishnoi’s third victim in the 13th over for 22. Rahul Tewatia, widely regarded as one of the Indian Premier League’s most dangerous finishers in pressure situations, was caught behind off Bishnoi for 22 in the 15th over, a wicket Bishnoi identified post-match as his most important of the evening. Shahrukh Khan departed in the same over for 6, leaving Gujarat Titans at 161 for 7 after 14.5 overs and requiring 50 runs from 31 balls with three wickets remaining.

Why did the Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan partnership bring Gujarat Titans to the verge of victory?

What appeared to be a comfortable Rajasthan Royals win was transformed into a final-over thriller by an extraordinary eighth-wicket partnership between Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan. The pair put on 43 runs, which set a new record for Gujarat Titans’ highest eighth-wicket partnership in the Indian Premier League, surpassing the previous mark of 25 shared by Rashid Khan and R. Sai Kishore.

Rabada, who had bowled with pace and discipline earlier in the evening, showcased his batting ability by striking the ball cleanly and powerfully. He targeted Ravi Bishnoi and Sandeep Sharma with a series of straight drives and lofted shots, bringing the required runs down to 15 off the final 12 balls. Rashid Khan contributed 24 off 16 deliveries before being dismissed off the penultimate ball of the 19th over, caught at deep point by Jofra Archer off the bowling of Tushar Deshpande. Rashid’s dismissal, which also set a new record for the most Indian Premier League matches played by a Gujarat Titans player at 62 appearances, proved to be the turning point.

Jofra Archer bowled the penultimate over, the 19th, targeting the body of Rabada and the stumps of Rashid Khan with relentless accuracy, conceding only nine runs to set up the equation for Deshpande.

How did Tushar Deshpande seal the victory for Rajasthan Royals in the final over at Ahmedabad?

With Gujarat Titans requiring 15 runs off the final over, Tushar Deshpande carried the responsibility of defending the total. The Rajasthan Royals pacer executed a sequence of yorkers and wide deliveries to contain Rabada and nightwatchman Ashok Sharma. Rabada struck a four and two sixes during the over to maintain pressure before Deshpande dismissed Rashid Khan off the second-to-last delivery, with Archer taking the catch. The final ball, bowled as a full toss to Ashok Sharma, was mistimed and rolled harmlessly away, leaving Rajasthan Royals as victors by six runs.

The victory was described by multiple observers as the first genuine thriller of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag praised the collective bowling effort and specifically highlighted the performances of Deshpande and Archer in the death overs.

What does Rajasthan Royals’ victory over Gujarat Titans mean for the Indian Premier League 2026 standings?

With two wins from two matches, Rajasthan Royals sit at the top of the Indian Premier League 2026 points table. The victory was secured by a margin that also boosted their net run rate. Gujarat Titans, by contrast, have lost both their opening matches of the 2026 edition and face a testing run of fixtures without the certainty of Shubman Gill’s early return. Gill, who was visibly receiving treatment to his shoulder and neck area during broadcast coverage of the match, had previously experienced neck spasms during India’s home Test series in the 2025-26 season.

The match also highlighted the depth of Rajasthan Royals’ bowling resources under the Impact Player substitution system, with Bishnoi’s late introduction as a specialist bowling replacement proving decisive. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, were unable to replicate the lower-order finishing that their partnership records suggested was possible, falling six runs short despite a final-over total that would have been considered exceptional in most other circumstances.

What are the key takeaways from Rajasthan Royals’ six-run win over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 Match 9?

• Rajasthan Royals won by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on April 4, 2026, posting 210 for 6 and restricting Gujarat Titans to 204 for 8 in reply.
• Dhruv Jurel scored a career-best 75 off 42 balls and Yashasvi Jaiswal made 55 off 36 balls to anchor the Rajasthan Royals batting effort, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed a brisk 31 off 18 balls at the top of the order.
• Ravi Bishnoi, deployed as the Rajasthan Royals Impact Player substitute, took four wickets for 41 runs and dismantled the Gujarat Titans middle order during a period in which six wickets fell for 27 runs between overs 12 and 15.
• Sai Sudharsan anchored the Gujarat Titans chase with 73 off 44 balls, and an eighth-wicket partnership of 43 between Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan set a new Gujarat Titans Indian Premier League record for that wicket, bringing the equation down to 15 off the final over before Tushar Deshpande held his nerve.
• Gujarat Titans regular captain Shubman Gill was absent from the match with a muscle spasm; Rashid Khan led the side in his place, and the Titans have lost both their opening matches of the Indian Premier League 2026 season.

Scorecard of Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans, Match 9 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Indian Premier League 2026