Gujarat Titans took a major step towards IPL 2026 playoff qualification with a dominant 77-run win over Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday, May 9. The result pushed GT to 14 points from 11 matches and lifted them into second spot on the IPL 2026 points table, while RR dropped out of the playoff spots, remaining stranded on 12 points.
Shubman Gill led from the front with a commanding 84 off just 44 balls as Gujarat piled up a massive 229/4 after being put into bat by stand-in Rajasthan captain Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Sai Sudharsan provided the perfect support act with a composed 55 off 36 deliveries as the pair stitched together a dominant 118-run opening stand that set the tempo of the innings.
GT capitalised fully on a disastrous Rajasthan powerplay with the ball, racing to 82 runs inside the first six overs before accelerating again at the death with a final-over burst that pushed the total beyond 220.
During the chase, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got off to a flier, but his stay at the crease was cut short by Mohammed Siraj who dismissed the 15-year-old on 36 off 16 balls.
The home team never truly recovered after that early setback as regular wickets ensured Rajasthan constantly remained behind the asking rate.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (3) fell cheaply in his first match as captain, while Shimron Hetmyer (6) also registered a single-digit score. Rashid Khan was lethal in the middle overs, finishing with an impressive 4/33.
Ravindra Jadeja (38) was the only batter to outscore Sooryavanshi, as RR were bowled out for 152 in 16.3 overs.
RR And GT Playoff Qualification Scenario
The result significantly strengthens Gujarat Titans' playoff position heading into the final stretch of the league stage. With 14 points from 11 matches, GT now require just one more victory from their remaining three games to likely secure qualification for the playoffs.
More importantly, consecutive wins at this stage of the season have revived GT's hopes of finishing in the top-two. If they manage to win two or all three of their remaining fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad (home), Kolkata Knight Riders (away) and Chennai Super Kings (home), Gujarat should finish in the top-two and gain the advantage of the safety net in Qualifier 1.
For Rajasthan Royals, however, the defeat removes the cushion they had built earlier in the campaign. RR now drop out of the top four and remain on 12 points from 11 matches, increasing the pressure heading into a difficult closing schedule.
Rajasthan likely need at least two wins from their remaining three league matches against Delhi Capitals (away), Lucknow Super Giants (home) and Mumbai Indians (away) to comfortably secure qualification. Winning only one of those matches would leave RR dependent on net run rate and other results to stay alive in the playoff race.
Here's a look at how the IPL 2026 points table stands after RR vs GT.
| Pos | Teams | Played | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
| 1 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0.737 |
| 2 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0.228 |
| 3 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0.571 |
| 4 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1.234 |
| 5 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0.082 |
| 6 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0.151 |
| 7 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 9 | -0.169 |
| 8 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 8 | -1.154 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | -0.649 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 | -0.934 |
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