GT to face RR, can Gujarat keep Vaibhav Sooryavanshi quiet?:Winner will face RCB; Rajasthan only won 3 matches against Gill’s team

After a record-breaking 97-run knock against SRH in the Eliminator, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will again be in the spotlight when Gujarat Titans take on Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. The winning team will qualify for the final to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on 31 May in Ahmedabad, while the losing team will return home empty-handed. The pre-match talk will be dominated by one player’s form – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old, single-handedly pushed SRH to the brink of elimination. He will be facing off against one of the most consistent bowling lineup of Gujarat, albeit they had their off day against RCB in Qualifier 1, and that’s one reason why they will have to play in Qualifier 2. RCB hammered 254 against Gujarat’s bowlers, who will have a herculean task at hand to keep the IPL’s youngest prodigy quiet. GT and RR will be playing each the third time this season, with both teams winning one game each. GT vs RR, IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 match details Match: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2026 match 73 Date: Friday, 29 May 2026 Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium, Mullanpur Time: Match begins at 7:30 PM IST, toss at 7 PM How to watch: Star Sports Network and JioHotstar How to follow: Bhaskar English app GT vs RR, head-to-head record The overall head-to-head record between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals is very interesting. In total 10 meetings, GT have come out on top 7 times while RR have recorded only 3 wins. Both sides played each other twice earlier this season, winning one game each. RR counting on Vaibhav, Archer’s brilliance Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is leading the Orange Cap race and remains on course to become the youngest to win the award. He has already scored 680 runs, and the 15-year-old is a key factor behind RR’s progress to the Qualifier 2. Similarly, Jofra Archer played a key role for the Royals in the Eliminator, taking 3 wickets against SRH, and he needs two more scalps to surpass Bhuvneshwar Kumar (26) in the Purple Cap race. GT pin hopes on bowlers and Sai Sudharsan Sai Sudharsan is the second highest run-scorer in the league behind Vaibhav at 652 runs this year. His captain Shubman Gill (618) is also close behind, while Jos Buttler (498) also features in the leading run-scorers list. The trio has been crucial in Gujarat’s sensational season so far. GT’s bowling attack has also been on fire, with Kagiso Rabada level on 26 wickets with Bhuvneshwar. Rashid Khan (19) and Mohammed Siraj (17) have also played their part in making GT’s bowling a formidable unit. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faces Mohammed Siraj challenge Fresh after narrowly missing his century against SRH, Vaibhav will be up against Mohammed Siraj in the powerplay. The 15-year-old has scored 38 runs in 20 balls against Siraj, getting dismissed once; however, the batter holds the upper hand with a blistering strike rate of 190. This battle could well decide the outcome of the match. Sai Sudharsan’s dominance over Jofra Archer Sai Sudharsan has enjoyed a reasonably good record against Jofra Archer, who has been Rajasthan’s go-to pick in the powerplay. Sudharsan has scored 44 runs in 33 balls at a strike rate of 133 against the English pacer, who is yet to dismiss the GT opener. MYS International Cricket Stadium, pitch report Mullanpur has traditionally been a flat surface, and it’s a batting paradise; fans got another timely reminder in the Eliminator with nearly 550 runs being scored across the two innings. Featuring a firm surface with red-black soil mixes, it offers even bounce and allows batters to play their shots freely. Fast bowlers get slight assistance early on, but it heavily favours strokemakers once the shine wears off. The average first innings score is around 200, and the captain who wins the toss often choose to bowl first, but chasing high totals has been difficult. Mullanpur, weather report The weather in Mullanpur on Friday is expected to be ideal for a cracking contest. There are no chances of rain, and the temperatures will be around 26 degrees Celsius during the evening. There will be 11% cloud cover and 49% humidity.