The Gujarat Titans (GT) are set to welcome defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Narendra Modi Stadium for Match 42 of the 2026
Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday, April 30.
The Titans will want to set the record straight after suffering defeat at the hands of RCB at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this season. They are coming into the game on the back of a win against the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, coming out on top by eight wickets with 20 balls to spare.
GT's side is slowly but surely getting into the groove despite their rollercoaster start to the 2026 season. The 2022 champions have won three out of their last five games to find themselves fifth in the standings, with eight to their name.
Here is GT’s strongest predicted XI vs RCB, Match 42, IPL 2026:
Top Order: Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK)
GT have one of the strongest top orders in the IPL, and with Sai Sudharsan returning to form, it has gotten even more formidable. Captain Shubman Gill is currently his side’s leading run-scorer with 330, closely followed by Sudharsan on 322.
Jos Buttler has also put his poor England form behind him in this IPL. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 270 runs at a strike-rate of 151.68.
Middle Order: Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder
The GT middle order has not had many opportunities thanks to their excellent top order. However, they do have some power-hitters to make sure they end their innings on a high note. Washington Sundar has scored 157 at a strike-rate of 148.11, making him the fourth-highest run-scorer. Jason Holder, meanwhile, played his first game last time against RCB in Bengaluru and scored an unbeaten 23 off just 10 balls.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar
It is a huge bonus for GT to see Kagiso Rabada return to his brilliant best. The South African international is currently his side’s leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps to his name at a strike-rate of just 14.30. Last season’s Purple Cap winner Prasidh Krishna, meanwhile, has 12 wickets to his name. Both Mohammed Siraj and Rashid Khan have taken eight wickets each, complementing the two quicks well.
GT’s predicted playing XI vs RCB in Match 42, IPL 2026:
Shubman Gill (C), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (WK), Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar
Impact Player: Rahul Tewatia
