Rajasthan Royals won the toss at a sun-drenched Narendra Modi Stadium and, a touch surprisingly, chose to bat. Riyan Parag is the first captain this IPL season to shun the usual chasing preference. “We just think the surface might slow up later,” he told the host broadcaster, adding that the dry afternoon heat also played a part.
Gujarat Titans had larger issues than the toss. Shubman Gill is absent with what the camp call a muscle spasm around the neck and shoulder. Cameras caught the opener heavily strapped during the warm-up. Gill battled neck spasms during last winter’s home Tests, so the franchise is understandably cautious. With Gill sidelined, Rashid Khan leads the side and 21-year-old wicketkeeper-bat Kumar Kushagra steps straight into the XI for his Titans debut. He featured four times for Delhi Capitals in 2024 but has scarcely played since.
Royals tweaked their attack as well. Seam-bowling Tushar Deshpande replaces Brijesh Sharma, while left-hand batter Shubham Dubey takes the spot of leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. They come in buoyed by an opening-round victory over Chennai Super Kings; Titans, by contrast, lost their first match to Punjab Kings.
Away from selection news, Aaron Finch spent the pre-game show marvelling at 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s power. “Bat speed” a factor in Sooryavanshi’s six-hitting ability, Finch said, with Ambati Rayudu nodding in agreement. The teenager holds his place at the top of the Royals order.
Squads
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma.
Bench: Ravi Singh, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Shubham Dubey, Brijesh Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi.
Gujarat Titans: Kumar Kushagra, B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan (capt), Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma.
Bench: Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Manav Suthar, Anuj Rawat, Jayant Yadav.
With Gill in the treatment room and Royals opting to set a total, the contest promises an immediate examination of both sides’ depth and adaptability—no more, no less.
