IPL 2026: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill power Gujarat Titans to 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals
Rashid Khan produced a classic spell as Shubman Gill led the way with a brilliant 84 as Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals by 77 runs in the IPL 2026 clash in Jaipur on Saturday.
The comprehensive victory marked GT’s fourth consecutive win of the season and moved them 14 points clear of table leaders Sunrisers Hyderabad, giving their playoff hopes a major boost.
After being asked to bat first on the flat ground of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Gujarat Titans amassed their highest total of the season, finishing on 229/4. Gill also capped the innings with a 44-ball 84, an innings studded with nine boundaries and three sixes. Despite a brief struggle on his left foot during the innings, the GT skipper never allowed Rajasthan’s bowlers to settle down.
Gill found the perfect partner in Sai Sudharsan, who continued his outstanding form with a brilliant 55. The duo put together a massive opening stand of 118 runs and completely dominated the Powerplay as GT raced past 100 within nine overs.
Rajasthan’s bowling also struggled badly, with Jofra Archer enduring a tough outing. Archer conceded 18 runs in the first over, including five wides, and ended up with 46 runs in just three overs. Sudharsan punished the width time and again while Gill showed good strokeplay all over the world.
Though Yash Raj Punia ended up breaking the opening partnership by dismissing Sudharsan, Gujarat never lost steam. Washington Sundar hit an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls towards the end of the innings, while Rahul Tewatia added two sixes in the last over to lift GT to 229/4.
Chasing 230, Rajasthan Royals came out strong thanks to young batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old hit the first ball of the innings for a six and continued his fearless onslaught with a blistering 36 off just 16 balls, including three fours and three sixes.
At 62/2 after five overs, RR looked strong in the contest. Dhruv Jurel again attacked brilliantly, scoring 24 runs off 10 deliveries with three sixes and a four.
However, the game changed completely when Rashid Khan came into the attack.
The Afghan leg-spinner bowled with exceptional control and variation between the eighth and 14th overs, making use of whatever slight turn was available. Rashid first bowled Jurel comically before dismissing Donovan Ferreira just three balls later with a sharp leg break.
He later caught Ravindra Jadeja lbw to complete the innings with four wickets as Rajasthan fell to a tight spot. Rashid finished with 4/33 match-winners, including three dismissals.
Earlier, Mohammed Siraj had ended Sooryavanshi’s explosive innings with a sharp short ball, while Kagiso Rabada dismissed captain-in-waiting Yashasvi Jaiswal with a fiery 152kph ball.
Jason Holder then rounded out the innings with excellent figures of 3/12 as Rajasthan Royals were bundled out for 152 in just 16.3 overs, handing Gujarat Titans one of their biggest wins of the season.
