The Gujarat Titans take on the Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 of the 2026 Indian Premier League at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket
Stadium in New Chandigarh.
The Titans finished the league stage in second place with 18 points, trailing table-toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru only on net run rate. However, they missed out on a direct spot in the final after suffering a heavy 92-run defeat to RCB in Qualifier 1, forcing them to take the longer route to the summit clash.
The Royals booked their place in this knockout match following a clinical 47-run victory over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. They finished the regular season in fourth place with 16 points, turning around a mid-season slump just in time to stay alive in the tournament.
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium: Pitch Report
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium has emerged as one of the most batting friendly wickets of IPL 2026. The venue has hosted five matches, including the eliminator between RR and SRH, and the average first innings total is 220. The average score clearly shows us the flat nature of the wicket here.
IPL Stats and Records at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium
| Matches Played | 16 |
| Won Batting First | 08 |
| Won Batting Second | 08 |
| Highest Total | 254/7 |
| Lowest Total | 95 |
| Average score batting first | 181 |
GT vs RR Strategies and Match-ups
The Gujarat Titans enjoyed a highly dominant league stage, finishing in second place with 18 points and missing the top spot only on net run rate. Their campaign was built on the tournament's most reliable batting duo, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, alongside a lethal bowling attack spearheaded by Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan. However, their reliance on the top order was brutally exposed during a heavy 92-run defeat against RCB in Qualifier 1, raising urgent questions about their middle-order depth under knockout pressure.
The Rajasthan Royals endured a rollercoaster season, starting with a four-game winning streak before suffering a sharp mid-season slump. They showed immense resilience to sneak into the playoffs in fourth place with 16 points, largely driven by the explosive powerplay batting of 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the fierce pace of Jofra Archer. Having just dismantled Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the Eliminator, the Royals carry massive winning momentum and tactical confidence into this must-win encounter.
