The road to the IPL 2026 final now narrows down to one last hurdle, with Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals preparing for a blockbuster face-off in Qualifier 2 at the PCA Stadium on Friday. Everything is on the line for both sides fighting for a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Gujarat Titans carry an upper hand against Royals, having won seven times, while Rajasthan Royals have managed only three wins. This season, though, things have been incredibly balanced, with both teams having clinched one victory each in their two meetings.

Earlier in this season, their first meeting in Ahmedabad was a thriller that saw Rajasthan edge past Gujarat by six runs in a nail-biting finish. However, GT dominated RR in the reverse match, sealing a 77-run win with a commanding all-round performance. GT, meanwhile, head into Qualifier 2 on the back of a big defeat against RCB in Qualifier 1; still, GT possess the power to overpower RR. Their opening pair, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, will be crucial at the top of the order. Sudharsan has enjoyed a sensational season, scoring 652 runs in 15 matches.

Gill has also been remarkable, piling up 618 runs. Explosive batters Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia also remain a crucial part of GT's batting attack. The pace trio of Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Jason Holder will lead the side's bowling attack. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are also high on success after registering a thundering win against SRH in the Eliminator.

The star of the show was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, slamming a breathtaking 97 off 29 deliveries. However, he failed to break the record for the fastest century in IPL history. Once again, Sooryavanshi will be in focus as Royals eye a place in the final. Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Riyan Parag will be expected to step up. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 10

GT won - 7

RR won - 3

RR Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punja, Brijesh Sharma, Sushant Mishra/Tushar Deshpande/Ravi Bishnoi

GT Probable XII: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan/Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna