Rajasthan Royals Clinch Thrilling Victory Over Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026

In a nail-biting encounter, Rajasthan Royals edged out Gujarat Titans by six runs in IPL 2026. Captain Riyan Parag praised his team's performance, particularly highlighting Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi's contributions. As RR prepares for their next match against Mumbai Indians, Parag emphasizes the need to leverage Dhruv Jurel's batting talent. This victory places RR at the top of the points table, while GT faces a challenging start to the season with two consecutive losses.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 5, 2026, 02:09 IST

Rajasthan Royals Secure Narrow Win Against Gujarat Titans

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 5: Riyan Parag, the captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), praised his teammates Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, and Dhruv Jurel following their narrow six-run victory against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026 match on Saturday.

The 2008 champions displayed remarkable composure to clinch a thrilling win over the Gujarat Titans. Despite a strong performance from GT's Sai Sudharsan and a late push from Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, RR's Ravi Bishnoi was the standout performer with a four-wicket haul that made a significant impact.

The match was intensely competitive, with GT needing 11 runs in the final over. However, Tushar Deshpande held his nerve, conceding only four runs and taking the crucial wicket of Rashid Khan, who scored 24 runs off 16 balls. Khan had formed a 43-run partnership with Rabada, who remained unbeaten on 23 runs from 16 balls.

In the post-match presentation, Parag reflected on the team's bowling tactics during the death overs, stating, “It was just incredible. I took a challenge, thinking that let’s go full and fast. It’s insane that they executed as we wanted. Dhruv Jurel suggested bringing Jofra Archer on for the 19th over, so credit to him for that. If it works out, it’s great; if not, we’ll try again.”

Parag also emphasized Jurel's batting capabilities, advocating for him to take on a more significant role in the batting order. “We haven’t fully utilized his talent. He needs to bat at No. 3, and I hope this is just the beginning for him,” he remarked.

Looking forward, Parag mentioned that the team would quickly shift their focus to the upcoming match against the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians. “We will concentrate on what we need to do against Mumbai,” he added.

With this victory, RR now leads the IPL 2026 points table with four points from two matches and a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +2.233. Conversely, this loss marked GT's second in a row, making it the first time they have lost their opening two matches of the IPL season.