Rajasthan Royals beat Gujarat Titans by 6 runs in IPL 2026 Match 9 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on April 4, 2026. RR posted 210/6 in 20 overs, and GT fell agonisingly short at 204/8 while chasing 211.
Ravi Bishnoi was the star of the show with a match-winning 4/41 in 4 overs. Dhruv Jurel top-scored for RR with a brilliant 75 off 42 balls, while Sai Sudharsan fought hard for GT with 73 off 44 before Bishnoi dismantled the chase. RR registered their second win of IPL 2026 in a thriller.
Match Summary: GT vs RR, IPL 2026 Match 9
| Aspect | Info |
|---|---|
| RR Score | 210/6 (20 overs) |
| GT Score | 204/8 (20 overs) |
| Result | RR won by 6 runs |
| Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Best Batter (RR) | Dhruv Jurel – 75 off 42 balls |
| Best Batter (GT) | Sai Sudharsan – 73 off 44 balls |
| Best Bowler (RR) | Ravi Bishnoi – 4/41 in 4 overs |
| Best Bowler (GT) | Kagiso Rabada – 2/42 in 4 overs |
| Player of the Match | Ravi Bishnoi (RR) – 4/41 |
RR Innings: 210/6 in 20 Overs
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave RR a flying start. The opening pair raced to 70 in just 6.2 overs, with their 50-run stand arriving in only 26 balls.
Jaiswal smashed 55 off 36 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 152.77 before Rabada bowled him. Sooryavanshi was equally destructive, hitting 31 off 18 (5 fours, 1 six) at a strike rate of 172.22 before Rashid Khan trapped him.
RR’s powerplay total of 69/0 in 6 overs set a strong platform. They reached 100 in 10.1 overs and were already at 126/1 by the time Jaiswal fell in the 12th over.
After both openers departed in quick succession, captain Riyan Parag fell cheaply for 8 off 4 balls, caught off Prasidh Krishna. RR briefly wobbled at 135/3 in the 13th over.
Dhruv Jurel steadied the innings with a composed 75 off 42 (5 fours, 5 sixes) at a strike rate of 178.57. He anchored the innings through the middle overs alongside Shimron Hetmyer, who chipped in with a brisk 18 off 8 (1 four, 2 sixes). Their partnership pushed RR past 165 before both fell in the 15th-16th over range.
The late overs saw Ravindra Jadeja (7 not out) and Jofra Archer (1 not out) hold the fort. Jurel fell at 205 in the 19th over, but by then RR had already done enough. Kagiso Rabada picked up 2/42 as the best GT bowler, but the total of 210/6 was always going to be a stiff ask at this ground.
Fall of Wickets: 1-70 (Sooryavanshi, 6.2 ov), 2-126 (Jaiswal, 12.3 ov), 3-135 (Riyan Parag, 13.2 ov), 4-165 (Hetmyer, 15.3 ov), 5-166 (Ferreira, 16.1 ov), 6-205 (Jurel, 19.3 ov)
RR Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhruv Jurel | 75 | 42 | 5/5 | 178.57 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 55 | 36 | 6/3 | 152.77 |
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 31 | 18 | 5/1 | 172.22 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 18 | 8 | 1/2 | 225.00 |
GT Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | 4 | 42 | 2 | 10.50 |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 39 | 1 | 9.75 |
| Ashok Sharma | 4 | 37 | 1 | 9.25 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 4 | 43 | 1 | 10.75 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 4 | 48 | 1 | 12.00 |
GT Chase: 204 All Out in 20 Overs
Sai Sudharsan came out with intent right from ball one. He blasted 73 off 44 balls (9 fours, 3 sixes) at a strike rate of 165.90, and for a long time it looked like GT had a real chance.
But Harsh Dubey removed Kumar Kushagra at 78/1 in the 8th over, and then Sudharsan fell at 107/2 in the 10th over, caught off Ravi Bishnoi. Once the main threat was gone, the required rate kept climbing.
Jos Buttler fought back with a smart 26 off 14 balls (5 fours) at a strike rate of 185.71. However, Nandre Burger dismissed him at 133/5 in the 13th over, and GT lost the plot rapidly from there.
Glenn Phillips fell for just 3, and Washington Sundar managed only 4. Rahul Tewatia tried with 12 off 6 balls, but Ravi Bishnoi had him caught behind. M Shahrukh Khan ran himself out for 11 at the key moment, and GT slipped from a manageable position to a desperate one.
Rashid Khan (24 off 16) and Kagiso Rabada (23 not out off 16) put on a late partnership and took GT agonisingly close. GT reached 200 in 18.6 overs, and the equation came down to 5 off the last over. But Bishnoi held his nerve, and GT finished at 204/8, falling 6 runs short.
Ravi Bishnoi was devastating. He took 4/41 in 4 overs, removing Sudharsan, Phillips, Washington Sundar, and Tewatia. GT’s last 6 wickets fell from 78 runs to 204, with no batter truly able to sustain a partnership after Sudharsan’s dismissal.
Fall of Wickets: 1-78 (Kushagra, 7.6 ov), 2-107 (Sudharsan, 10.4 ov), 3-127 (Phillips, 12.1 ov), 4-131 (Washington Sundar, 12.3 ov), 5-133 (Buttler, 13.1 ov), 6-155 (Tewatia, 14.3 ov), 7-161 (Shahrukh Khan, 14.5 ov), 8-204 (Rashid Khan, 19.5 ov)
GT Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sai Sudharsan | 73 | 44 | 9/3 | 165.90 |
| Kumar Kushagra | 18 | 14 | 3/0 | 128.57 |
| Jos Buttler | 26 | 14 | 5/0 | 185.71 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 23* | 16 | 1/2 | 143.75 |
RR Bowling: Best Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravi Bishnoi | 4 | 41 | 4 | 10.25 |
| Tushar Deshpande | 3 | 24 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Nandre Burger | 3 | 29 | 1 | 9.66 |
| Riyan Parag | 1 | 11 | 1 | 11.00 |
| Jofra Archer | 4 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 |
Key Highlights: GT vs RR IPL 2026 Match 9
- Bishnoi’s match-winning spell: Bishnoi took 4/41 in 4 overs as the impact sub, removing the four most threatening GT middle-order batters. He earned both the Player of the Match and Cricinfo MVP (109.67 pts).
- Jurel carried the RR innings: After early wickets in the 13th over, Jurel’s 75 off 42 kept RR on track. His 5 sixes were crucial in pushing the total past 200.
- RR’s openers set the tone: Jaiswal (55/36) and Sooryavanshi (31/18) both struck at 150+. Their 70-run opening stand in 6.2 overs gave RR a base no GT bowler could fully claw back.
- Sudharsan’s lone fight wasn’t enough: He scored 73 off 44 and gave GT a genuine platform. But once he fell at 107/2, no other batter could anchor the chase.
- GT’s middle-order failed at the key moment: From 78/1, GT should have won. Instead, they lost 7 wickets for 126 runs across 12 overs as Bishnoi and the RR death bowlers choked the chase.
- Rabada deserved more support: Kagiso Rabada picked up 2/42 with the ball and then scored 23 not out to nearly win it with the bat. He was GT’s best performer across both departments.
- Impact subs were decisive: RR brought Bishnoi in for Ferreira at the start of GT’s innings. Bishnoi then ran through the GT batting lineup. GT brought Shahrukh Khan in as their batting sub, but he was run out for 11 at the worst possible time.
Verdict: RR Registered a Hard-Fought Win in IPL 2026 Match 9
RR’s batting depth was the difference in this match. Four batters scored 18 or more, the powerplay yielded 69 without loss, and 210 was always going to be a tough target at Ahmedabad. GT fought back admirably through Sudharsan, Buttler, and late lower-order resistance, but no one could finish the job after Sudharsan’s dismissal. The pressure built from the 11th over onwards, and Bishnoi’s four-wicket burst sealed the result. A first defeat at home for GT in IPL 2026, and RR move up the table with their second win of the season.
