RR vs GT Preview – IPL 2026 | Statz

The two most in-form sides in the IPL go head-to-head at Mullanpur on Thursday. Rajasthan Royals (4th, 18pts from 15 matches) host Gujarat Titans (2nd, 18pts from 15 matches) in a fixture that could shape the playoff picture. Three teams are locked on 18 points and separated only by run rate – GT sit second on +0.695, with RR in fourth on +0.189. First ball is 7:30 PM IST (3:00 PM BST). Full stats and projections on the Statz match centre.

The Venue

The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur has been a run-fest in IPL 2026. Across 16 T20s since March 2024, the average first innings score is 184.9 with a 50% bat-first win rate. The pitch tag reads “Batting paradise” – and the numbers back it up. The average match total is 358.3 with 18.2 sixes per game. Pace bowlers go at 10.00 economy while spinners fare better at 8.01, taking 31% of wickets to pace’s 62.5%.

The most recent match here was RR’s 47-run demolition of SRH on 27 May – RR posted 243/8 batting first. Before that, RR chased down 222 against PBKS on 28 April. High totals are the norm – six of the 16 innings at this ground have reached 210 or above.

Form and Table

Rajasthan Royals sit 4th with 18 points from 15 matches (W9 L6). They have won three of their last five, including that emphatic 47-run win over SRH last time out. Their last five results:

– W vs SRH – 243/8 beat 196/10 (27 May)
– W vs MI – (24 May)
– W vs LSG – (19 May)
– L vs DC – (17 May)
– L vs GT – 152/10 lost to 229/4 (9 May)

Gujarat Titans sit 2nd on 18 points from 15 matches (W9 L6). They have also won three of their last five but come off the back of a defeat to RCB on 26 May. Their last five:

– L vs RCB – 162/10 lost to 254/5 (26 May)
– W vs CSK – (21 May)
– L vs KKR – (16 May)
– W vs SRH – (12 May)
– W vs RR – 229/4 beat 152/10 (9 May)

Updated IPL 2026 Table (Top 5):

| Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
|—–|——|—|—|—|—–|
| 1 | RCB | 15 | 10 | 5 | 20 |
| 2 | GT | 15 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
| 3 | SRH | 15 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
| 4 | RR | 15 | 9 | 6 | 18 |
| 5 | KKR | 14 | 7 | 6 | 15 |

Head-to-Head

10 meetings since 2022 (Statz data). Gujarat Titans lead 7-3 in the all-time record – a dominant head-to-head that includes two IPL final wins in 2022.

The last meeting was GT’s comprehensive 77-run victory in Jaipur on 9 May, where they posted 229/4 and bowled RR out for 152. Before that, RR won the reverse fixture in Ahmedabad on 4 April, chasing down 204 with 210/6.

At Mullanpur specifically, RR have won all four matches they have played here. GT have a 1-3 record at this venue since 2021.

Statz Projections

The model has this as essentially a coin flip. In the RR-bat-first scenario, GT are marginal favourites at 49.5% to RR’s 48.5%. In the GT-bat-first scenario it is similarly tight – GT 49.2%, RR 48.8%.

Projected first innings total is 210.1 (RR batting first) or 209.7 (GT batting first) – well above the venue’s season average of 184.9. The projected match total of 407.7 sits in the P10-P90 range of 358-457.

RR’s projected run rate of 10.51 batting first reflects the Mullanpur conditions. Both teams are projected for around 15 sixes in the first innings – this should be a boundary-heavy contest.

Competition Season Leaders

Orange Cap Top 5:
1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – 680 runs in 15 innings
2. Sai Sudharsan (GT) – 652 runs in 15 innings
3. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) – 624 runs in 15 innings
4. Shubman Gill (GT) – 618 runs in 14 innings
5. Ishan Kishan (MI) – 602 runs in 15 innings

Purple Cap Top 5:
1. Kagiso Rabada (GT) – 26 wickets in 15 innings
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH) – 26 wickets in 15 innings
3. Jofra Archer (RR) – 24 wickets in 15 innings
4. Anshul Kamboj (KKR) – 21 wickets in 14 innings
5. Eshan Malinga (PBKS) – 20 wickets in 15 innings

RR Season Leaders:
– Runs: Vaibhav Suryavanshi – 680 runs, avg 45.33, HS 103
– Runs: Dhruv Jurel – 508 runs, avg 33.87, HS 81
– Wickets: Jofra Archer – 24 wickets in 15 matches
– Wickets: Brijesh Sharma / Nandre Burger – 13 wickets each

GT Season Leaders:
– Runs: Sai Sudharsan – 652 runs, avg 43.47, HS 100
– Runs: Shubman Gill – 618 runs, avg 44.14, HS 86
– Wickets: Kagiso Rabada – 26 wickets in 15 matches
– Wickets: Rashid Khan – 19 wickets in 15 matches

Predicted XIs

Rajasthan Royals (based on XI vs SRH, 27 May 2026):
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi
3. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
4. Riyan Parag (c)
5. Donovan Ferreira
6. Dasun Shanaka
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Jofra Archer
9. Nandre Burger
10. Brijesh Sharma
11. Yash Raj Punja

Gujarat Titans (based on XI vs RCB, 26 May 2026):
1. Shubman Gill (c)
2. Sai Sudharsan
3. Nishant Sindhu
4. Jos Buttler (wk)
5. Washington Sundar
6. Jason Holder
7. Rashid Khan
8. Kulwant Khejroliya
9. Kagiso Rabada
10. Mohammed Siraj
11. Prasidh Krishna

Check the Statz match page after the toss for confirmed lineups.

Dream11 Tips – Captain and Vice Captain

Captain: Jason Holder (GT) – projected 107.4 Dream11 points. The all-rounder offers points from every discipline – projected 14.7 runs and 1.69 wickets batting first, with consistent contributions across the board.

Vice Captain: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – projected 102.8 Dream11 points. The Orange Cap leader is projected for 45.5 runs at the top of the order on a ground where openers dominate.

Also consider:
– Jofra Archer (RR) – 91.1 projected D11 points
– Sai Sudharsan (GT) – 87.6 projected D11 points
– Yash Raj Punja (RR) – 85.2 projected D11 points

Key Players

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – The 16-year-old sensation leads the Orange Cap race with 680 runs at 45.33 this season, including a century. He has scored 30+ runs in 80% of his last 5 innings and 73.3% through the season. On a batting paradise like Mullanpur, Suryavanshi is the most likely run-scorer on the park.

Kagiso Rabada (GT) – Joint Purple Cap leader with 26 wickets. Rabada has taken 2+ wickets in 80% of his last 5 matches and 60% across the full season. Even at Mullanpur where batters dominate, his pace and bounce make him the biggest wicket threat. Projected for 1.61 wickets in this match.

Jofra Archer (RR) – Third in the Purple Cap race with 24 wickets at an 86.7% season hit rate for 1+ wickets. Archer has taken at least one wicket in 9 of his last 10 innings. He is also the top wicket-taker at Mullanpur with 7 wickets from RR’s four matches here.

Sai Sudharsan (GT) – Second in the Orange Cap race with 652 runs at 43.47. Sudharsan has scored 30+ in 80% of his last 5 innings and is GT’s leading run-scorer at Mullanpur with 125 runs from 3 matches. Projected for 44 runs in the RR-bat-first scenario.

Conditions

Fair skies with 28C at match start, 57% humidity and minimal wind at 2.4 m/s. No rain expected – conditions perfect for batting.

Verdict and Betting Angles

This is genuinely too close to call. Both teams are on 18 points, both have won 9 of 15, and the Statz model has the win probability within 1% either way. But RR’s home record at Mullanpur – four wins from four – gives them a tangible edge the model may be underweighting.

GT’s pace attack of Rabada, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna will test any top order, but RR’s batting depth – Jaiswal, Suryavanshi, Jurel and Parag through the top five – is formidable on this surface. RR’s bowling attack, led by Archer with 24 wickets, also has the variety to contain.

Live odds have RR at 1.76 and GT at 1.96 with bet365. Ladbrokes offer RR at 1.80 and GT at 2.00.

Betting angles from the Statz Bet Builder:

– Vaibhav Suryavanshi over 29.5 runs – 80% hit rate in his last 5 innings, 73.3% across the season. On a ground averaging 184.9 first innings, the Orange Cap leader looks set to deliver again.
– Jofra Archer 1+ wickets – 80% hit rate last 5, 86.7% season-long. Archer has taken a wicket in 13 of his 15 IPL 2026 appearances and is the top wicket-taker at this ground.
– Kagiso Rabada 2+ wickets – 80% hit rate in his last 5, 60% across the season. The joint Purple Cap holder is projected for 1.61 wickets and Mullanpur’s pace-friendly nature (62.5% of wickets to seamers) plays into his hands.
– Sai Sudharsan over 29.5 runs – 80% hit rate in his last 5, 53.3% across the season. GT’s top scorer averages 43.47 and scored a century earlier in IPL 2026.

Odds displayed are from bet365 and may change. All projections and hit rates from Statz Cricket.