IPL 2026 GT vs RR: Why Shubman Gill is missing from Gujarat's Playing XI against Rajasthan

As Gujarat Titans look to regroup after a narrow three-wicket loss to Punjab Kings in their IPL opener, they will be without skipper Shubman Gill, who has been ruled out due to a muscle spasm.

"We wanted to bowl first. Gill has a muscle spasm, hopefully he will be back soon. KK (Kumar Kushagra) is playing his first game and look forward to see him play. We played good cricket in the last game as well. Was a good game. We need to bring out 100% here," said Rashid Khan after the toss against Rajasthan Royals.

GT vs RR: Head-to-head record

GT and RR have met 8 times in the IPL, with Gujarat Titans winning 6 matches compared to Rajasthan Royals’ 2 victories.

GT vs RR: Match analysis

The Ahmedabad surface is expected to slightly favour Gujarat Titans, with their bowling attack led by Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj well-suited to the ground’s large boundaries and true bounce. However, RR’s pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger could exploit early movement to challenge GT’s top order.

Both teams also bring strong middle-order depth, making running between the wickets and strike rotation crucial. While Rajasthan’s athletic batting unit could benefit from quick scoring conditions, Gujarat Titans’ familiarity with home conditions and balanced attack may give them a slight edge.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma

Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Kumar Kushagra, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan(c), Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna