NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals, under new captain Riyan Parag, began their IPL 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their opener. They will now look to build on that momentum and extend their winning run.

Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, will be eager to get their campaign back on track after suffering a defeat to Punjab Kings in their opening game.

Ahead of the high-voltage clash between GT and RR, the contest between express pacer Jofra Archer and Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill promises to be a key subplot.

Archer has enjoyed the upper hand in this battle so far in T20s, dismissing Gill three times in 19 deliveries while conceding just 16 runs.

The England pacer was also in fine form in the previous game against CSK, returning impressive figures of 2/19 in four overs, including the crucial wicket of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Gill, on the other hand, looked in good touch despite GT’s loss in their opener, scoring 39 off 27 balls with six boundaries.

Another intriguing face-off will be between Kagiso Rabada and the in-form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Sooryavanshi, known for his aggressive strokeplay, was in devastating form against CSK, smashing a 15-ball half-century to power Rajasthan Royals to a dominant win.

Rabada will have the task of containing the young batter and breaking his rhythm early.

Gill is also closing in on a significant milestone in the IPL. The GT skipper is just 95 runs away from reaching 4,000 runs in the tournament.

So far, he has scored 3,905 runs in 119 matches (116 innings) at an average of 39.44 and a strike rate of 138.77, including four centuries and 26 half-centuries. His highest score remains 129.

GT vs RR: Head-to-head

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Gujarat Titans have the upper hand and have clearly dominated this rivalry, winning six of the eight encounters, while Rajasthan Royals have managed just two victories.

The two sides notably met in the IPL 2022 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Gujarat Titans clinched the title with a convincing seven-wicket win.

However, in their most recent meeting, Rajasthan Royals turned the tables in style, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashing a sensational 101 off just 38 balls to power his side to a remarkable 210-run chase in under 16 overs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

GT vs RR: Ahmedabad weather report

The weather in Ahmedabad on Saturday is expected to be hot and humid with partly cloudy skies. There is only a minimal chance of rain during the match, making interruptions unlikely. As it is an evening game, a light breeze could set in, which might offer some assistance to the fast bowlers. Temperatures are likely to hover between 26°C and 32°C during match hours. Overall, conditions look favourable for a full, uninterrupted contest between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals.

GT vs RR: Pitch report

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to favour the batters, setting the stage for a potential run-fest on Saturday evening. A high-scoring contest is on the cards in the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, with the pitch likely to offer good bounce. The true surface should allow stroke-makers to play their shots freely, ensuring an enjoyable outing for the batters.

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GT vs RR: Predicted XIIs

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada/Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma

GT vs RR: SQUADS

Gujarat Titans Squad: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anuj Rawat, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Nishant Sindhu

Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Tushar Deshpande, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Kuldeep Sen, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Shubham Dubey, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao Perala