Match: Qualifier 2, IPL 2026 Teams: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals Date: Thursday, May 29, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM IST (Night Match) Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) GT Captain: Shubman Gill RR Captain: Riyan Parag
One spot in the IPL 2026 final is up for grabs at Mullanpur. The winner of this Qualifier 2 travels to Ahmedabad on May 31 to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who already secured their final berth by beating GT by 92 runs in Qualifier 1. The loser, meanwhile, goes home.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, arrive on the back of one of the most extraordinary individual performances in IPL playoff history. In the Eliminator against SRH on May 27, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blazed 97 off just 29 balls hitting 12 sixes to power RR to 243/8. Jofra Archer then removed Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan inside the powerplay to leave SRH reeling at 45/4. RR won by 42 runs. They are now unbeaten at this Mullanpur venue across all four matches played here, and they arrive with a side humming with confidence.
For GT, this is their second final in five IPL seasons if they can get there. For RR, it is a continuation of their journey from near-elimination to genuine title contender. Only one team in IPL history has gone on to win the title after surviving the Eliminator and Qualifier 2: SRH in 2016. RR know the odds, but given what Sooryavanshi and Archer have done in the last two weeks, they are not a team thinking about statistics.
GT vs RR Head-to-Head Record (IPL)
| Stat | Detail |
| Total Matches | 10 Played (as of May 28, 2026) |
| GT Wins | 7 |
| RR Wins | 3 |
| GT Win % | 70% |
| GT Highest Total | 229/4 (Jaipur, May 9, 2026) |
| RR Highest Total | 212/2 (Jaipur, IPL 2025) |
| Neutral Venues | 2 wins from 2 for GT |
| IPL 2026 Match 9 | RR won by 6 runs |
| IPL 2026 Match 52 | GT won by 77 runs |
GT hold a dominant overall record in this rivalry at 7-3. Furthermore, at neutral venues specifically, they have a perfect record winning both the 2022 Qualifier 1 and the 2022 IPL final against RR. However, those were in Ahmedabad, GT’s home, which made them effectively home games. Tonight in New Chandigarh is genuinely neutral, and the venue has been all RR’s in IPL 2026 they won all four matches here during the league stage and the Eliminator.
The most recent meeting between these sides tells the clearest story about each team’s bowling strength. In Match 52 at Jaipur, Rashid Khan took 4/33 and Jason Holder added 3/12 to bowl RR out for just 152 while chasing 230. RR’s chase fell apart from the 8th over onwards and they ended up 77 runs short GT’s largest-ever win by run margin in IPL. Rashid’s spell in that game was one of the most dominant individual bowling performances in IPL 2026.
Before that, though, RR had beaten GT in Match 9 at Ahmedabad Ravi Bishnoi’s 4/41 bowled GT out for just 204 while defending 210, with RR winning by 6 runs. That result showed that when RR’s bowlers are on, they can beat any side in the country.
GT Predicted Playing 11 vs RR
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill (c) | Opener / Captain |
| 2 | Sai Sudharsan | Opener |
| 3 | Jos Buttler (wk) | No. 3 / Wicketkeeper |
| 4 | Nishant Sindhu | Middle Order |
| 5 | Washington Sundar | All-rounder |
| 6 | Rahul Tewatia | Finisher / All-rounder |
| 7 | Jason Holder | Pace All-rounder |
| 8 | Rashid Khan | Leg-spin All-rounder |
| 9 | Kagiso Rabada | Pace Bowler |
| 10 | Mohammed Siraj | Pace Bowler |
| 11 | Prasidh Krishna | Pace Bowler |
Impact Player Options: Glenn Phillips, Sai Kishore, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat
RR Predicted Playing 11 vs GT
| # | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Opener |
| 2 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Opener |
| 3 | Dhruv Jurel (wk) | No. 3 / Wicketkeeper |
| 4 | Riyan Parag (c) | Middle Order / Captain |
| 5 | Shimron Hetmyer | Finisher |
| 6 | Mitchell Marsh | All-rounder |
| 7 | Ravindra Jadeja | Spin All-rounder |
| 8 | Jofra Archer | Pace Bowler |
| 9 | Ravi Bishnoi | Leg-spinner |
| 10 | Sandeep Sharma | Pace Bowler |
| 11 | Nandre Burger | Left-arm Pace |
Impact Player Options: Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Brijesh Sharma
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh – Pitch Report & Stats
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| IPL Matches Hosted | 9 (including IPL 2026 season) |
| Teams Batting First Win Rate (IPL 2026 at this venue) | Lower chasing teams win more often |
| Average 1st Innings Score (IPL 2026 at this venue) | 214 (highest of any venue this season) |
| Six of 8 completed innings here in IPL 2026 | Crossed 200 runs |
| Highest Team Total (IPL at this venue) | 254/7 by PBKS vs LSG (IPL 2026) |
| Highest Successful Chase (IPL 2026 at this venue) | 222 chased by RR vs PBKS (Match 40) |
| RR Record at this Venue (IPL 2026) | 4 wins, 0 losses |
| GT Record at this Venue (IPL 2026) | 0 wins, 1 loss PBKS beat GT at this venue in Match 42 |
| Dew Factor | Significant ball becomes slippery from over 13–14 onwards |
| Boundary Size | Square: 66 metres; straight: 74 metres |
| Pace vs Spin | Pace gets movement in first 4 overs; surface slows mid-innings |
| Par Score (IPL 2026) | 200–215 |
Surface Nature
Mullanpur has emerged as the highest-scoring IPL venue of 2026. The surface offers good bounce and even pace early in the innings, allowing batters to play through the line. As a result, the powerplay at this ground consistently produces 55–70 runs. Six of the eight completed innings here in IPL 2026 have crossed 200 runs, and the average first-innings score of 214 is the highest of any IPL 2026 venue.
Moreover, the surface is made of a mix of black and red soil that keeps its pace well under floodlights. However, it does slow slightly after the 10th over, bringing spin and cutters into play. This transition phase overs 10 to 15 is where Rashid Khan and Ravi Bishnoi will both be most dangerous, as the pace comes off and batters misread the change.
Dew Factor
The dew factor at Mullanpur in late May is significant. From around over 13–14 in the second innings, the ball becomes noticeably slippery. As a result, bowlers especially pace bowlers lose some grip, which helps batters play freely in the death overs. This is why teams batting second win more often here in IPL 2026. The Eliminator on May 27 followed the same pattern: RR posted 243 while batting first under a drier surface, while SRH struggled to chase it as the dew crept in during their innings.
Toss Impact
Both captains will want to bowl first and chase at this venue. However, any total below 200 will be chaseable regardless of dew, while a total above 220 puts the chasing team under pressure even with a slippery ball in the death.
Key Player Stats (IPL 2026 Season, Including Playoffs)
| Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | RR | 676 runs (Orange Cap) 97 off 29 in Eliminator; unbeaten record at New Chandigarh |
| Shubman Gill | GT | 376 runs vs RR all-time; 84 off 44 in Match 52; league-stage Orange Cap contender |
| Rashid Khan | GT | 11 wickets vs RR all-time; 4/33 in Match 52 Player of the Match |
| Jofra Archer | RR | 3 wickets in 4 overs in Eliminator vs SRH form bowler of IPL 2026 playoffs |
| Ravi Bishnoi | RR | 4/41 in Match 9 vs GT; most wickets for RR in this fixture |
| Jos Buttler | GT | 29 off 11 in Q1 was GT’s best batting moment; needs a big score tonight |
| Jason Holder | GT | 3/12 in Match 52 vs RR; key support weapon to Rashid in middle overs |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | Stable opener; 29 off 29 in Eliminator (while Sooryavanshi hit 97 off 29) |
| Sai Sudharsan | GT | 55 in Match 52; Orange Cap winner in IPL 2025 (759 runs); consistent left-hand anchor |
| Prasidh Krishna | GT | Led IPL 2026 Purple Cap; expensive in Q1 but expected to bounce back at Mullanpur |
Match Prediction
This is the most finely balanced match of IPL 2026. Both teams have genuine reasons to win, and both arrive at Mullanpur having seen the best and worst of themselves in the past three days.
GT have structural advantages a better league-stage record, the dominant head-to-head with RR (7-3), and Rashid Khan’s specific ability to destroy RR in the middle overs. In Match 52, they looked the complete team. Moreover, Mullanpur’s even bounce suits pace bowling, and GT’s attack of Rabada, Siraj, Prasidh, and Holder is one of the most complete in the tournament. Additionally, unlike RR who played an intense Eliminator on May 27, GT have had three days’ rest after the Qualifier 1 loss to prepare, reset, and specifically plan for tonight.
Nevertheless, RR bring momentum, the Sooryavanshi factor, Archer in his best form, and an unbeaten 4-0 record at this venue this season. They have won every game they have needed to win since Match 64 against LSG. Furthermore, the dew factor suits teams batting second, and if RR win the toss and bowl, GT batting second under lights on a slippery ball becomes a genuine challenge.
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Final Verdict
The deciding factor is likely to be the toss and the batting conditions. A team batting first at Mullanpur in a knockout game is under more pressure than usual. Given that RR have won all four matches here by chasing, and GT have lost their only match here (to PBKS), the pitch and venue history both point toward RR.
However, Rashid Khan’s record in this fixture 11 wickets, Player of the Match in the last meeting is the one counter-argument to everything RR bring to the table. If Rashid fires and Gill bats like he did in Match 52, GT reach the final. If Archer fires like he did in the Eliminator and Sooryavanshi gets going in the powerplay, RR go to Ahmedabad.
