GT vs RR Prediction: Can 'Baby Boss' Dominate Once More?
Updated July 9, 2026
Best bet: Rajasthan Royals moneyline. Gujarat Titans were humiliated by RCB three days ago, losing by 92 runs after being reduced to 51/5 in the powerplay. RR just dismantled SRH with a 97 off 29 balls from Sooryavanshi and have won both their matches at Mullanpur this IPL 2026 season.
IPL 2026 · Qualifier 2 New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur
May 29 · 7:30 PM IST
GT Gujarat Titans 10W 4L
vs
RR Rajasthan Royals 8W 6L
44%
Gujarat
56%
Rajasthan
Winner projection
Rajasthan Royals
→
Projected total
340–370
both innings
1st innings median
173
Mullanpur est.
Primary factor
RR arrive off a 47-run thumping of SRH, Sooryavanshi in the most extraordinary form of the tournament. GT just collapsed to 51/5 inside the powerplay against RCB and lost by 92 runs. The momentum gap coming into a knockout game on a surface where RR are 2-0 this season is hard to ignore.
The contrast in momentum for these two sides could hardly be more stark. While GT finished second in the league stage and are the better team on paper, their Qualifier 1 collapse was alarming. Yes, they were chasing a hefty total after an inspired Rajat Patidar led RCB to 254/5, but their esteemed top order collapsing to 51/5 in the powerplay showed an alarming lack of composure under pressure. Two days' rest is not a lot of time to rebuild the kind of collective confidence lost in suffering a demolition in a high-stakes matchup.
RR, by contrast, are running hot. 15-year-old 'Baby Boss' Sooryavanshi's 97 off 29 including 12 sixes set the tone and Jurel's 50 off 21 finished it. Jofra Archer, while expensive, dismissed the dangerous Sharma, Head and Kishan and from there on in the Royals never looked back as the Sunrisers were comfortably dispatched.
RR have been to Mullanpur twice this season and won both, including a league-stage win over PBKS when they were at their peak unbeaten run. The concern for RR is that GT emphatically won the previous matchup between these two sides, with Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan tearing through their batting order after Sudarshan and Gill had guided the Titans to 229/4. The Royals know first hand that momentum gap or not, the Titans pose a serious threat, especially if their openers can negotiate Archer in the powerplay.
metric
GT Gujarat
RR Rajasthan
IPL 2026 record
10W 4L
8W 6L
Last 2 playoff matches
Lost by 92
Won by 47
Top run scorer
Sudharsan 652
Soorya 676
Top wicket taker
Rabada 18
Archer 17
Record at Mullanpur
0W 1L
2W 0L
All-time H2H (IPL)
5
4
The powerplay is where this match will most likely be won or lost. Gill and Sudharsan are a high-quality opening pair, with both exceeding 600 runs this season, the most productive opening combination in the tournament. Their early dismissals against disciplined pace bowling set the tone for their unsuccessful chase in Qualifier 1. Neither batter looked comfortable against swing and seam in those conditions, and while Mullanpur is a warmer, flatter surface than Dharamsala, the early-overs carry is still there for Archer and Burger.
Sooryavanshi's 97 off 29 in the Eliminator means RR have already shown what their powerplay looks like in peak mode. His twelve sixes in 29 balls at this venue on Wednesday will be studied relentlessly in the build-up to this match. The question is whether their bowlers can formulate a plan that works.
GT have the edge here. Rashid Khan in the middle overs at a surface that slows through the innings will pose RR's upper and middle order serious problems. His 17 wickets this season understate his value. the number of dot-ball phases he creates, the run-rate suppression even when he doesn't take wickets, and his ability to dismiss set batters make him GT's most important player in this game. Washington Sundar alongside him provides control from the other end.
If GT can restrict RR through overs 7-14 after any early powerplay damage, they can keep a chase manageable. For RR bowling, Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi in the middle overs are the equivalent threat against GT's middle order. Jos Buttler at four is the GT batter with the most experience dismantling spin. If he's in, RR's spinners face the sternest test of their season.
Mullanpur's average first-innings score sits around 170-175, which means this is a game where totals in the 165-185 range are competitive and where a 20-run swing in the death overs is the difference between a gettable and ungettable target.
Dew in the evening at New Chandigarh has been a meaningful factor this season, arriving from around the 14th over of the second innings and making it progressively harder for spinners to grip. The chasing side benefits, which means whoever wins the toss will almost certainly field first.
Archer's yorker game at the death is RR's best bowling weapon; Kagiso Rabada is GT's equivalent and his pace and bounce on this surface has been excellent all season. Shimron Hetmyer as RR's finisher has the power game to target the short square boundaries if he gets to the crease with ten balls remaining. Jason Holder's lower-order hitting role at GT gives them a comparable late-innings option.
Predicted lineups · IPL 2026 Qualifier 2
GT vs RR · Friday, May 29 · 7:30 PM IST
Based on latest knockout XIs. Final XIs confirmed at the toss.
GT Qualifier 1 loser
Sai Sudharsan
Shubman Gill
C
Jos Buttler
WK
Nishant Sindhu
Washington Sundar
Jason Holder
Rahul Tewatia
Rashid Khan
Kagiso Rabada
Mohammed Siraj
Prasidh Krishna
Kulwant Khejroliya
IMP
Glenn Phillips
IMP
Anuj Rawat
IMP
RR Via Eliminator
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Dhruv Jurel
WK
Riyan Parag
C
Donovan Ferreira
Dasun Shanaka
Ravindra Jadeja
Jofra Archer
Nandre Burger
Brijesh Sharma
Yash Raj Punja
Sushant Mishra
IMP
Ravi Bishnoi
IMP
Tushar Deshpande
IMP
C Captain
WK Wicketkeeper
IMP Likely Impact
Prop 1 (Top Batter): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Top RR Batter. 676 runs this season at SR 236, 97 off 29 in the Eliminator, 2-0 at this ground. There is genuinely no rational argument for fading him as a top-batter pick in any format on any surface right now. GT's bowlers will plan for him. They have all season. It hasn't worked.
Prop 2 (Key Bowling Matchup): Jofra Archer Top RR Bowler. Seventeen wickets this season, and his biggest threat in this fixture is specifically at Shubman Gill, who he has dismissed in their meetings this season and who looked deeply uncomfortable against pace in the Qualifier 1. Archer's bounce on a ground where the ball carries through the top is his best asset. A Gill wicket in the first three overs sets RR up for a match-defining powerplay.
Prop 3 (Match Total): Under 355.5 Combined Runs. Mullanpur averages 170-175 first innings. The surface slows through the game, and spinners are expected to be highly influential in the middle overs, and a competitive, lower-scoring knockout game is far more likely here than the 400-run festivals at Wankhede and Eden. Both teams have the bowling to keep the game tight.
ATS.io · Best Bet
GT vs RR · New PCA Mullanpur · May 29
Best bet
RR Moneyline
GT just lost by 92 runs after collapsing to 51/5 in the powerplay. RR just dismantled SRH with Sooryavanshi making 97 off 29. RR are 2-0 at Mullanpur this season. The momentum, the venue record, and the most in-form player in the tournament all point the same way.
Secondary bet
Under 355.5 Combined Runs
Mullanpur averages 170-175 first innings. Rashid and Jadeja in the middle overs on a surface that grips make this a bowler-friendly knockout match. Both teams have the discipline to keep scores in check when it matters.
Confidence Momentum, venue record, and Sooryavanshi form all favour RR
The model gives RR a 56% win probability. GT's 44% is carried by three things: the best bowling attack in the tournament (Rabada 26 wickets, Rashid 19, Siraj 17), the league-stage advantage of finishing second after 14 matches, and the knowledge that a 92-run defeat two days ago was a historic aberration rather than a reflection of their season.
However, RR have the momentum, the ground record, and a 'Baby Boss' capable of taking the match away from GT in just a few swings of the bat. Back them to get to the final.
What time does GT vs RR Qualifier 2 start on May 29?
Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2026 Qualifier 2, starts at 7:30 PM IST at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. The toss takes place at 7:00 PM IST. The winner advances to the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 31 in Ahmedabad.
How did RR qualify for Qualifier 2?
Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on May 27 at the same Mullanpur venue. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 97 off 29 balls including the quickest fifty in an IPL knockout game, before Dhruv Jurel's 50 off 21 secured a commanding win. RR had finished fourth in the league stage with 14 points.
How did GT reach Qualifier 2?
Gujarat Titans finished second in the league stage with 20 points and played RCB in Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala on May 26. They lost by 92 runs in a match where they collapsed to 51/5 in the powerplay and were bowled out for 162 in response to RCB's 254. Despite the result, GT's overall season record of 10 wins from 14 matches reflects one of the strongest league-stage campaigns in IPL 2026.
What is the pitch like at Mullanpur's New PCA Stadium?
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium averages 170-175 runs in the first innings in IPL matches. The surface is built on a sand-based foundation, offers carry for pace bowlers early in the innings, and slows through the middle overs in a way that rewards spin. Dew becomes a factor from around over 14 of the second innings, assisting the chasing side. Both captains are expected to bowl first.
Who are the key players to watch in GT vs RR Qualifier 2?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the standout player of the tournament. He has scored 676 runs at a strike rate of 236, including a 97 off 29 in the Eliminator three days ago. Jofra Archer's ability to dismiss Shubman Gill early is RR's most important bowling moment. From GT's side, Rashid Khan in the middle overs on a gripping Mullanpur pitch is the most likely match-changing bowling performance, and Jos Buttler's big-match experience against spin makes him GT's key batting counter.
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