Gujarat Titans take on Rajasthan Royals in Match 9 of IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 4. This highly anticipated Saturday night blockbuster brings together two familiar foes. Rajasthan Royals arrive with massive momentum after absolutely destroying Chennai Super Kings in their opener, while Gujarat Titans are desperate to secure their first victory of the season after suffering a narrow defeat against Punjab Kings.
Here is our complete GT vs RR IPL 2026 prediction and everything you need to know before the first ball is bowled.
GT vs RR IPL 2026 Prediction Match Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Match | GT vs RR IPL 2026 Match 9 |
| Date | Saturday 4 April 2026 |
| Time | 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad |
| Last meeting result | Rajasthan Royals won by chasing 210 runs |
Gujarat Titans Current Form and Squad Overview
Gujarat Titans suffered a closely fought three wicket defeat against Punjab Kings in their opening fixture. Despite a spirited bowling effort led by Prasidh Krishna who took three crucial wickets, the batting lineup struggled to accelerate in the middle overs. Captain Shubman Gill and newly acquired wicketkeeper Jos Buttler got solid starts but failed to convert them into massive scores. Returning to their fortress in Ahmedabad, the Titans will look to bounce back and capitalize on their formidable pace attack featuring Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj.
Key players: Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan
Concern areas:
- The middle order heavily relies on Glenn Phillips and Shahrukh Khan, who can sometimes be contained by high quality spin bowling.
- Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia need to contribute more significantly with the bat to ensure explosive finishes in the death overs.
Rajasthan Royals Current Form and Squad Overview
Rajasthan Royals enter this contest riding a massive wave of confidence. They completely dismantled Chennai Super Kings in their opening match, securing a commanding eight wicket victory in just over twelve overs. The absolute highlight of the game was a breathtaking performance by young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who smashed a fifty in a mere fifteen balls. Under the fresh leadership of Riyan Parag, the squad looks incredibly energetic. Their bowling unit, spearheaded by Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer, looks terrifyingly sharp after restricting Chennai to just 127 runs.
Key players: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nandre Burger
Concern areas:
- The middle order has not been tested under pressure yet since the openers finished the previous game so quickly.
- Managing the workload and fitness of their premium fast bowlers like Jofra Archer remains a season long challenge.
Read – IPL 2026 All 10 teams complete Squad preview & Analysis
Head to Head Record
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total matches | 8 |
| Gujarat Titans wins | 6 |
| Rajasthan Royals wins | 2 |
| No result | 0 |
| Last 5 meetings | GT 3 wins and RR 2 wins |
Gujarat Titans have historically enjoyed a massive upper hand in this rivalry, leading the head to head record six to two. This includes their famous victory over the Royals in the IPL 2022 final at this exact venue. However, Rajasthan Royals won their most recent encounter in spectacular fashion when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored a blistering century to chase down a mammoth total.
Venue and Pitch Report Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad
Pitch Insight: The Narendra Modi Stadium offers one of the best batting surfaces in the country. The pitch provides true bounce and excellent pace, allowing batters to play their shots freely right from the powerplay. Fast bowlers can find some early swing under the lights, but the surface generally flattens out beautifully as the evening progresses.
Because this is the largest cricket stadium in the world, the square boundaries are quite massive. Batters must rely on finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets just as much as clearing the ropes. The evening dew almost always makes an appearance in Ahmedabad, making the ball slippery for spinners in the second innings. Consequently, the captain winning the toss will almost certainly elect to bowl first.
| Venue Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Avg 1st innings score IPL | 172 |
| Matches won batting first | 61% |
| Matches won chasing | 39% |
| Highest score at venue | 243 by PBKS |
| Lowest score at venue | 89 by GT vs DC |
| Highest chased | 205 by KKR vs GT |
| Wickets Pace vs Spin | 68% Pace and 32% Spin |
Key Player Battles to Watch
🔥 Jos Buttler vs Ravindra Jadeja – Watching Buttler play against his former team adds an emotional layer to this contest. Buttler loves to dominate the middle overs, but Jadeja bowls with exceptional accuracy and pace through the air. Jadeja will target the stumps relentlessly, aiming to frustrate the English wicketkeeper into making a costly mistake.
Innings – 7 |Runs – 70 |Balls – 53 |Outs – 2 |SR – 132 |Avg – 35
🔥Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Kagiso Rabada – The young Royals opener is coming off a record breaking fifteen ball fifty and looks absolutely unstoppable. However, facing the sheer pace and aggressive lengths of Rabada is a completely different test. Rabada will likely bowl back of a length to restrict his scoring areas. If Vaibhav can survive this fiery opening spell, the Royals will be in total control of the powerplay.
🔥 Shubman Gill vs Nandre Burger – The Gujarat Titans captain loves to score freely in the powerplay, but the left arm angle and steep bounce generated by Burger could pose serious problems. Burger looked absolutely lethal in the opening game, and taking Gill out early would expose the Titans middle order far sooner than they would like.
Probable Playing XI
Gujarat Titans Probable XI:
- Shubman Gill
- Sai Sudharsan
- Jos Buttler ✈️
- Glenn Phillips ✈️
- Washington Sundar
- Shahrukh Khan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan ✈️
- Kagiso Rabada ✈️
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
Impact Sub – Ashok Sharma
Rajasthan Royals Probable XI:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Riyan Parag
- Dhruv Jurel
- Shimron Hetmyer ✈️
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jofra Archer ✈️
- Brijesh Sharma
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Nandre Burger ✈️
- Sandeep Sharma
Impact Sub – Shubham Dubey
GT vs RR IPL 2026 Prediction
This promises to be an absolute thriller. Even though Gujarat Titans hold the historical advantage and are playing at their home fortress, Rajasthan Royals are looking incredibly dangerous right now. The Royals completely outplayed Chennai Super Kings in their opener, and their batting lineup appears fearless. The Titans have a magnificent bowling attack, but their batting looked slightly rusty in their first game against Punjab Kings.
Rajasthan Royals take this one. The explosive form of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, combined with the varied pace attack of Burger and Archer, gives them a distinct edge. Unless the Titans top order fires spectacularly, the Royals should have enough firepower to secure their second consecutive victory.
Upset Possibility: Gujarat Titans can easily defend their home turf if Rashid Khan spins a magical web through the Royals middle order and Jos Buttler decides to play a match winning knock against his former franchise.
| Prediction | Detail |
|---|---|
| Winner | Rajasthan Royals |
| Key factor | The destructive form of Royals openers and their lethal fast bowling duo |
| Upset possibility | Rashid Khan taking multiple wickets in the middle overs to trigger a collapse |
| Player to watch | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
Final Word
That wraps up our GT vs RR IPL 2026 prediction. Match 9 brings us a repeat of the 2022 final, but the dynamics have completely shifted. Rajasthan Royals arrive in Ahmedabad looking like an absolute powerhouse, while Gujarat Titans are desperate to bounce back in front of their massive home crowd.
Will Shubman Gill lead his team to their first victory of the season, or will Riyan Parag and his energetic Royals continue their destructive march? Drop your predictions and thoughts in the comments below. Make sure to check back after the final ball is bowled for our complete post match analysis.