Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans Preview – IPL 2026 | Statz
8th May 2026
Rajasthan Royals host Gujarat Titans at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday 9 May in what could be a season-defining encounter. Both sides sit level on 12 points – RR fourth, GT fifth – and with four games remaining for each, a win here could be the difference between a playoff spot and going home. Match starts at 19:30 IST (14:00 BST).
The Venue
Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur is a “Batting paradise” – the ground card (30 T20 matches since 2018) tells you everything you need to know. Average first innings score is 181, with the chasing side historically winning 60% of the time. Pace takes 58% of wickets at an economy of 9.48, spin 36% at 8.41 – spinners have a slight edge on returns but seamers do the heavy lifting. The highest total posted here is 228, the lowest 118.
Most recent game: 1 May 2026, RR posted 225/6 and DC chased it down for 226/3 with 5 balls to spare. Before that, 25 Apr 2026, RR again 228/6 and SRH knocked them off with 9 balls remaining. The trend at this ground this season is clear – bat second.
Form and Table
Rajasthan Royals (4th) – P10 W6 L4 – 12 points
Last 5: L W L W L. RR have been inconsistent at home this season, losing their last two at SMS while winning on the road. Their recent results: lost to DC (225 vs 226/3, 1 May), beat PBKS (228/4 vs 222/4, 28 Apr), lost to SRH (228/6 vs 229/5, 25 Apr), beat LSG (159/6 vs 119, 22 Apr), lost to KKR (155/9 vs 161/6, 19 Apr).
Gujarat Titans (5th) – P10 W6 L4 – 12 points
Last 5: W W W L L. GT are in form – three straight wins before that. Recent results: beat PBKS (167/6 vs 163/9, 3 May), beat RCB (158/6 vs 155, 30 Apr), beat CSK (162/2 vs 158/7, 26 Apr), lost to RCB (205/3 vs 206/5, 24 Apr), lost to MI (100 vs 199/5, 20 Apr).
IPL 2026 Table (top 4):
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 11 | 7 | 4 | 14 |
| 2 | Punjab Kings | 10 | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 10 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| 4 | Rajasthan Royals | 10 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
Both sides have 4 games remaining. RR and GT are level on 12 points – which makes this fixture directly relevant to playoff qualification. The team that wins this one gains a critical advantage in the race for the final two spots.
Head-to-Head
9 meetings since 2022 (Statz data). Gujarat Titans lead 6-3 overall. Last meeting: 4 Apr 2026, GT posted 204/8 at Narendra Modi Stadium and RR chased it down for 210/6 – a 6-run victory for the Royals. The 2025 fixture at this very ground – SMS, Jaipur – went to RR by 8 wickets, RR chasing down 209/4 with 25 balls remaining.
At Sawai Mansingh Stadium specifically, GT have played 3 and won 2. RR on home turf have a win record of just 6 from 17 since 2021. History and this season’s trends both favour the away side if they bat first.
Statz Projections
Statz gives GT a 51% win probability when GT bat first (RR win 47%). In the RR-bats-first scenario, those numbers flip: RR 47%, GT 51%. Either way, it’s tight – the model sees this as a virtual coin flip with GT marginally ahead.
Projected first innings score: 182 (P10: 155, P90: 209). Projected match total: 353 (P10: 310, P90: 396). That 182 aligns almost exactly with the ground average of 181 – this surface doesn’t need a big first innings to set a competitive total, but anything above 200 puts the chasing side under real pressure.
See the full projections on Statz.
Competition Season Leaders
Orange Cap – IPL 2026 run leaders:
- Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) – 494 runs
- Abhishek Sharma (SRH) – 475 runs
- Lokesh Rahul (DC) – 445 runs
- Ishan Kishan (SRH) – 409 runs
- Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – 404 runs
Purple Cap – IPL 2026 wicket leaders:
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) – 17 wickets
- Anshul Kamboj (CSK) – 17 wickets
- Kagiso Rabada (GT) – 16 wickets
- Prince Yadav (LSG) – 16 wickets
- Eshan Malinga (SRH) – 16 wickets
RR 2026 Season Run Leaders: Vaibhav Suryavanshi 404 (avg 40.4, HS 103), Yashasvi Jaiswal 312 (avg 31.2, HS 77), Dhruv Jurel 290 (avg 29, HS 81).
RR 2026 Season Wicket Leaders: Jofra Archer 15 (avg 1.5/match, best 3-wkt haul), Ravi Bishnoi 11 (avg 1.22, best 4), Nandre Burger 9.
GT 2026 Season Run Leaders: Sai Sudharsan 385 (avg 38.5, HS 100), Shubman Gill 378 (avg 42, HS 86), Jos Buttler 335 (avg 33.5, HS 60).
GT 2026 Season Wicket Leaders: Kagiso Rabada 16 (avg 1.6/match, best 3), Prasidh Krishna 12 (avg 1.71, best 4), Rashid Khan 11 (avg 1.1, best 3).
Predicted XIs
Rajasthan Royals (based on XI vs Delhi Capitals, 1 May 2026):
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma.
Gujarat Titans (based on XI vs Punjab Kings, 3 May 2026):
Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Manav Suthar.
Check the Statz fixture page for toss updates and any late changes.
Dream11 Tips
Captain: Jason Holder – top projected Dream11 points (115.0) from confirmed recent XI players. All-rounder value – contributes with bat and ball.
Vice Captain: Sai Sudharsan – 87.1 projected points. GT’s most consistent scorer this season with 385 runs at an average of 38.5.
Next three to consider:
- Jofra Archer – 86.1 projected Dream11 points
- Yashasvi Jaiswal – 79.2 projected Dream11 points
- Rashid Khan – 77.0 projected Dream11 points
Key Players
Jofra Archer (RR) – The standout bowler in this fixture. Archer has taken 15 wickets at 1.5 per game this season and his hit rate for 1+ wickets in his last 5 matches is 100%. That is the kind of consistency you back blindly. On this surface where pace takes 58% of wickets, Archer is the pick of the bowlers.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – The 13-year-old phenomenon is fifth in the Orange Cap standings with 404 runs and a 60% hit rate for 20+ and 30+ runs in his last 5 innings. When he fires in the powerplay, RR’s total climbs fast. Openers dominate at SMS – the data says 33% of top scorers have come from that position.
Shubman Gill (GT) – GT’s captain leads from the front. 378 runs at an average of 42 this season, with a 60% hit rate for 30+ in his last 5. He’s made runs at SMS before – 192 runs across 3 appearances here as GT’s top scorer at this venue. A good toss result for GT and Gill has a real chance of building a platform.
Kagiso Rabada (GT) – Third in the Purple Cap with 16 wickets. He’s picked up 3, 1 and 2 wickets in his last three innings. His season wicket hit rate (1+) isn’t in the top tier at this stage, but Rabada taking wickets at a ground that rewards pace is a straightforward shout for bet builder purposes.
Conditions
Clear sky in Jaipur, 34 degrees, 26% humidity, virtually no wind. No rain risk whatsoever – ideal batting conditions.
Verdict and Betting Angles
Pick: Gujarat Titans
GT head into this in better form – three wins on the bounce before their last outing. They’ve won 2 from 3 at SMS and the historical trend at this ground strongly favours the side chasing. Statz gives GT the edge in the batting-first scenario (51% vs 47%) and even that slight model lean plus the ground data points to GT. RR have struggled to defend totals here all season. GT’s bowling attack is also arguably the deeper unit: Rabada leading the tournament charts, Siraj with a 90% last-5 wicket hit rate, Rashid Khan tying batters in knots.
At 2.05 on bet365, GT offer genuine value against an RR side that has lost its last two at home.
Bet builder angles (check hit rates at Statz Bet Builder):
- Jofra Archer 1+ wickets – 100% last 5, 90% last 10. The most reliable bowling prop in this match.
- Mohammed Siraj 1+ wickets – 100% last 5, 90% last 10. Same hit rate as Archer, GT’s new-ball threat.
- Jos Buttler 20+ runs – 80% last 5, 90% last season. Buttler has been GT’s most consistent scorer when conditions are flat.
- Donovan Ferreira 20+ runs – 80% last 5. Coming off scores of 33, 52 and 47 in his last three, Ferreira is in form at a ground that suits his ball-striking.