In a high-octane clash at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in New Chandigarh, Rajasthan Royals posted a formidable 214 for 6 in their 20 overs, putting Gujarat Titans under immense pressure to chase down 215 and book their spot in the IPL 2026 final.
The star of the show was once again 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hammered a sensational 96 off just 47 balls (8 fours, 7 sixes) at a strike rate of over 204. Coming off an explosive 97 in the Eliminator, the young opener continued his dream run, blending fearless power-hitting with impressive maturity. He fell just four runs short of a century, holing out to Prasidh Krishna off Kagiso Rabada in the 18th over.
Ravindra Jadeja provided crucial impetus in the middle overs with an unbeaten 45 off 35 balls, helping RR recover after early setbacks and adding momentum alongside Donovan Ferreira in the death overs. GT’s bowling attack, led by Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, managed to pick wickets at regular intervals but struggled to contain the flow of boundaries on a pitch that offered good batting conditions.
RR elected to bat first and rode on Sooryavanshi’s brilliance to cross the 200-run mark comfortably. The innings break now sets up a mouth-watering chase for Shubman Gill’s men, who must deliver a clinical performance with the bat to advance.
Can GT’s top order — Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and others — script a comeback, or will RR’s bowling unit, featuring Jofra Archer, defend this total? The Qualifier 2 winner will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on May 31.
