Rajasthan Royals Opt to Bat First Against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 Clash
Match Overview
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 4: In a thrilling encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the toss and chose to bat first against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
Gujarat Titans Face Setback
In a significant blow for GT, their captain Shubman Gill is sidelined due to a muscle spasm. Stand-in captain Rashid Khan confirmed Gill's absence during the toss, expressing hope for his swift recovery.
Rajasthan Royals' Strategy
After winning the toss, RR's Riyan Parag stated that the team aims to score around 210 runs while adapting to the pitch conditions. He announced two changes in the lineup: Tushar Deshpande replaces Brijesh Sharma, and Shubham Dubey takes the place of Ravi Bishnoi.
"We are going to bat first. We need to assess and adapt to the conditions. Our goal is to set a competitive score of around 210 and defend it later. I want our team to perform well in all conditions," Parag mentioned during the toss presentation.
Gujarat Titans' Response
GT's Rashid Khan expressed a preference to bowl first, hoping for Gill's quick return. He confirmed that Kumar Kushagra would be making his debut in this match. Rashid emphasized the importance of giving their best performance.
"We wanted to bowl first. Gill is dealing with a muscle spasm, and we hope he returns soon. KK (Kumar Kushagra) is playing his first game, and we look forward to seeing him in action. We need to bring our A-game today," Rashid stated at the toss.
Recent Performances
Rajasthan Royals are riding high after a remarkable eight-wicket victory against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where Vaibhav Suryavanshi achieved the second-fastest fifty in RR's IPL history, scoring 52 runs off just 17 balls. They successfully chased down a target of 128 runs in just 12.1 overs and are eager to maintain their winning streak.
Conversely, Gujarat Titans are looking to bounce back after a three-wicket loss to Punjab Kings in their opening match of the IPL 2026 season. GT managed to score 162 runs while batting first but fell short as Punjab's Cooper Connolly scored an impressive 72*, leading his team to victory.
Playing XI
Gujarat Titans: Kumar Kushagra, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan(c), Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
Impact subs: Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Manav Suthar, Anuj Rawat, Jayant Yadav.
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.
Impact subs: Ravi Bishnoi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sushant Mishra, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Singh.