Rajasthan Royals were ousted from IPL 2026 following their defeat to Gujarat Titans by 7-wickets at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur in the second qualifier with Shubman Gill’s 104-run knock and Sai Sudharsan’s half century helped GT chase down the target of 215 with 8 balls to spare as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s measured 96 went in vain.
Sooryavanshi fell just shy of his century for a second game on the bounce, and skipper Riyan Parag was seen having an animated conversation with the star kid following his wicket.
Riyan Parag telling to sooryavanshi about his mistake 🥲🥲🥲 pic.twitter.com/igBzn07f8N
— Rahul (@Rahul74572540) May 29, 2026
Mohammed Siraj struck early, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for just 1 in the opening over, before Kagiso Rabada deepened
the damage by removing Dhruv Jurel for 7 off 6 balls in the second over.
Ravindra Jadeja then came in to stabilise the innings alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, with the left-handed pair counter-attacking through a series of boundaries. Jadeja powered his way to 34 off 19 deliveries before retiring hurt due to discomfort, making way for skipper Riyan Parag. Parag contributed a brisk 11 off 6 balls before Jason Holder sent the captain back to the pavilion.
Holder then struck again, dismissing Dasun Shanaka for 3, while Prasidh Krishna accounted for Jofra Archer—promoted up the order—for 7 off 4 deliveries.
After receiving treatment in the dressing room, Jadeja returned to resume his innings and anchor the chase, continuing his partnership with Sooryavanshi. The youngster, who was dropped on 46 by Sai Sudharsan, capitalised on the reprieve to register yet another half-century.
The left-handed duo added 52 more runs before Rabada removed Sooryavanshi for a superb 96 off 47 balls. Donovan Ferreira’s explosive cameo of 38 off 11 deliveries, combined with Jadeja’s unbeaten 45 off 35, propelled RR to a commanding 214/6 in their 20 overs.
In reply, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill launched the chase in style, piling on boundaries and maintaining a rapid scoring rate. Both batters reached their half-centuries in quick time as GT surged past 100 well before the halfway mark.
Sudharsan’s brilliant knock ended in dramatic fashion when he was dismissed hit-wicket, mirroring the unfortunate manner of his dismissal against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first qualifier.
The opening pair had already put on a massive 167-run stand by the time Sai departed, after which Gill continued his assault to bring up a magnificent century. The skipper led from the front with a stunning 109 off just 53 deliveries before eventually falling to Archer.
Washington Sundar chipped in with a swift 16 off 9 balls before being dismissed by Nandre Burger, leaving Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia to complete the formalities. The duo remained unbeaten on 9 and 17 respectively, guiding GT to victory and securing their spot in the championship clash on home soil.
