IPL 2026: Wobbly Rajasthan Royals face upbeat Gujarat Titans in mid-table clash

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals have found the late-innings muscle they were searching for but the discovery has come with a warning — in this IPL, even 225 is no guarantee unless the rest of the game is managed with precision.

As the tournament moves towards its business end, the Riyan Parag-led side face Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday in a contest with direct playoff implications. Both teams are on 12 points from 10 matches, with Royals fourth and Titans fifth on net run rate.

For Royals, the clearest positive in recent games has been the emergence of Donovan Ferreira as a reliable finisher. The South African’s unbeaten 47 off 14 balls against Delhi Capitals lifted Rajasthan to 225/6 after they had slipped to 12/2.

A few nights earlier, he had produced a match-winning 52 not out off 26 balls against Punjab Kings, where Shubham Dubey’s unbeaten 31 off 12 gave the chase of 223 its decisive thrust.

That partnership in New Chandigarh was a reminder that Rajasthan’s batting no longer has to lean only on its top order. Ferreira and Dubey have given the side a lower-order gear that can turn difficult equations into manageable finishes. Yet, the problem for Royals has shifted. They are making enough runs; they are not always turning them into wins.

Twice in Jaipur in the space of a week, Rajasthan crossed 225 and still lost. Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down 229 with nine balls to spare after Royals posted 228/6, and Delhi Capitals followed by overhauling 226 with five balls left. On surfaces where 200 has increasingly become a starting point rather than a matchwinning total, Rajasthan have lacked control in the key phases after setting up games well.

The batting, too, has had moments where momentum has not been fully maximised. Dhruv Jurel’s 51 off 35 balls against SRH came in a 112-run stand with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but Royals slowed after a blistering start and finished below what had once looked possible. Against Delhi, Jurel’s 42 off 30 helped repair early damage, but the innings needed Ferreira’s extraordinary late assault to reach 225.