Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and opted to bat against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 of Indian Premier League on Friday (May 29, 3036).

GT made one change and brought back R Sai Kishore, while RR are playing an unchanged XI.

Teams

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jogra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.

Gujarat Titans: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.

Moments after Rajasthan Royals sealed the final Indian Premier League playoffs berth with a convincing win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May24, 2026) night, head coach Kumar Sangakkara passionately defended captain Riyan Parag, insisting the young allrounder remains the “absolute right guy” to lead the franchise despite a turbulent IPL 2026 season.

Parag’s maiden full season as captain has been marked by inconsistent batting returns, recurring fitness concerns and off-field scrutiny, including repeated social media criticism following the vaping incident in the dressing room during a match. Yet, Sangakkara made it clear that the Royals management remains firmly invested in the 24-year-old.

“I have seen very few players who have been criticised like Riyan has been for about seven years now,” Sangakkara said. “Ever since I came to the franchise, there have always been people who liked Riyan, but there are a lot who didn’t really like him, especially on social media. But that’s the reality of the modern game.”

The former Sri Lankan captain revealed that Rajasthan never doubted Parag’s leadership credentials when handing him the captaincy before the season.

“When we decided to offer Riyan the captaincy, he was the absolute right guy to lead this franchise. I have no doubt in my mind,” Sangakkara said.

Despite battling physical niggles through parts of the campaign and enduring fluctuating form with the bat, Parag continued to front up for the Royals during their successful late push towards qualification. Sangakkara particularly praised the batter’s resilience and commitment.

“The confidence with which he drives himself, sometimes almost on one foot to come and play, there is a huge amount of positivity,” Sangakkara observed. “I think he has captained exceptionally well.”

Sangakkara also stressed that Parag commands complete respect inside the dressing room, irrespective of outside noise.

“Sometimes what you see on the outside is not Riyan Parag,” he said. “He is a lovely, soft, gentle, really determined, smart young man. He has learned a lot in the last few years and he will continue on that journey.”

Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Trevor Penney on Saturday (May 23, 2026) dismissed concerns over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fielding abilities, insisting that the teenage batting sensation has been used as an Impact Substitute purely to keep him fresh for batting duties.

The 15-year-old, who recently earned a call-up to the India A squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, has largely featured as a batting-only option in the ongoing Indian Premier League season. That usage pattern had prompted questions around his fielding standards and athleticism.

Penney, however, made it clear that Sooryavanshi’s exclusion from the field had nothing to do with his abilities.

“He is a very good fielder. He has got great hands. He moves well. He dives. He anticipates. He has got all that,” Penney said on the eve of Rajasthan’s crucial league fixture.

According to the former India fielding coach, the Royals management has merely tried to optimise the teenager’s workload through the tournament.

“Sometimes with him opening the batting, him going in in the second innings being fresh, it’s worked for us,” Penney explained. “There is no specific reason why he is a bad fielder or we are not playing him in the field. It’s nothing to do with that.”

Penney added that match situations and combinations had occasionally forced the team to prefer more experienced fielders on the park.

“But generally it’s been to keep him fresh for his batting,” he said.

The Royals think-tank also appeared impressed by Sooryavanshi’s maturity despite his age, particularly highlighting his game awareness during a recent chase.

“You saw in the last game he had 10 off 11 balls and he was so determined to win that game. That’s why he didn’t go in and just try and hit from ball one,” Penney said. “He has really got a good brain for a young guy as well.”

Even before the final round of league-stage matches began, Sunday (May 25, 2026) afternoon’s fixture at the Wankhede Stadium had already emerged as the most consequential contest of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) business end.

Of the five teams that were still in contention for the lone remaining playoffs spot, Rajasthan Royals is the only side with its fate firmly in its own hands.

Adding to the intrigue is the maiden appearance of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the Wankhede — that too in front of nearly 19,000 schoolchildren attending as part of Mumbai Indians owners’ Education and Sports For All initiative. For perhaps the first time at the venue, the Royals could find themselves enjoying overwhelming crowd support.

The equation for Rajasthan Royals is straightforward: win and qualify. But the challenge is anything but simple.

The Royals management will anxiously monitor the fitness of captain Riyan Parag and veteran allrounder Ravindra Jadeja. Yet, even in their absence, stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal marshalled the side impressively before Sooryavanshi’s explosive innings against Lucknow Super Giants earlier this week kept RR’s campaign alive.

Rajasthan will once again bank on the youthful duo of Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal — returning to his alma mater — while hoping Jofra Archer continues his fine rhythm with the ball.

But facing Mumbai Indians with nothing to lose can often be a dangerous proposition. After an underwhelming season, the home side will be desperate to sign off on a winning note. It will be interesting to see if Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya — the duo that has had a lacklustre season — end it on a high.

Will Mumbai Indians play disruptor-in-chief? Or will Rajasthan Royals seal the playoffs berth and render the final league game in Kolkata irrelevant?

Rajasthan Royals is just a win away from qualifying for the IPL playoffs. The Royals have to thank two players in particular for allowing them to hope going into their last league match. While everyone is raving — and rightly so — about the incredible Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jofra Archer’s contribution hasn’t received as much attention.

It was his brilliant final over that ensured Sooryavanshi would have to chase a lesser target against Lucknow Super Giants in the must-win encounter at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) . In LSG’s last over, just five runs came, not to mention the loss of three wickets.

It was a fine comeback by the Barbados-born England quick after disappointing in the PowerPlay. In the first half of the IPL this season, it was his fast and furious spells in the PowerPlay that broke the back of the rival teams’ batting.

With the new ball, he would deliver some awkward balls, some of which would climb menacingly into the batter. With the South African left-armer Nandre Burger, he formed probably the season’s most lethal new-ball attack.

Archer has been a trusted servant for Royals since landing in Jaipur in 2018. He hadn’t made his senior international debut yet. After being discovered, and taken along to Sussex, by fellow-Bajan Chris Jordan, he was serving the waiting period to play for England.

He had already been fascinated with the IPL. “I always wanted to play at the IPL but didn’t know how,” he had told this correspondent back then. Royals made it easier for him, spending Rs. 7.2 crore. Except for one season, in 2023 when he turned up for Mumbai Indians, he has always been with the Rajasthan franchise.

After taking 15 wickets in his first season, he took 20 in the 2020 edition, in which he was also the Most Valuable Player. Royals need him to breathe fire in Mumbai on Sunday (May 24, 2026).

One of the enduring images for those who watched Sachin Tendulkar bat in Australia in 1991-92 could well be the expression on the big-moustached face of Merve Hughes. The big fast bowler had been straight-driven gloriously for a boundary by the curly-haired, baby-faced teenager at the Sydney Cricket Ground.  

Hughes was surprised. Or shocked, rather. Maybe bewildered, even.

More than three decades later, the world’s most fearsome bowlers are sporting similar looks. They are being tormented by another baby-faced teenager. Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi: he spares none.

This one’s hair is not curly. And he bats left-handed. And he prefers to deal in sixes mostly (he belongs to the Twenty20 generation, after all).

His journey has only begun, but make no mistake, Sooryavanshi is blessed with genius. The latest proof came on Tuesday night in Jaipur, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

T20 cricket may not usually produce long-time memories, but some of the shots Sooryvanashi played — over extra-cover against the two quick Yadavs, Mayank and Prince, and the ramp off the latter — will be remembered.

A six over the wicketkeeper’s head isn’t cricket’s prettiest of shots, but when he played that, with such timing, such inventiveness, you didn’t mind. You admired.

Sooryvanshi’s 38-ball 93 came in a must-win match for Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants (to retain hopes of IPL playoffs). He had begun sedately – 11 off 12 balls.

He played second fiddle to stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had given the team the quick start that was required in pursuit of a challenging total. He curbed his aggression for a while: what his needed wasn’t a cameo, but a match-winning knock.

Then, he exploded. The unrelated Yadavs and the other bowlers soon began to resemble Hughes.

The orange cap could not have found a more deserving batter.

Moments after Delhi Capitals suffered a harrowing loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at home on May 8, skipper Axar Patel, resigned to his team not making the playoffs of IPL 2026, said the remaining three league games would be used to give opportunities to newer players. One of the beneficiaries of Axar’s view has been all-rounder Madhav Tiwari.

The 22-year-old from Madhya Pradesh — his family hails from Rewa district but he was born and brought up in Indore — has grabbed his opportunity in DC’s previous two matches.

The seamer picked up two wickets apiece against both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, and he also provided a glimpse of his ability with the willow during an unbeaten 14-ball 18 to seal a successful chase at the expense of Shreyas Iyer’s men.

Curiously, Madhav, whose IPL debut came against Mumbai Indians last year, is yet to feature for his State team at the senior level. He attracted the attention of Capitals when he turned out for Bhopal Leopards in the maiden Madhya Pradesh T20 League in 2024.

“What was spoken about Madhav when we picked him was that he was somebody who liked the pressure. He can bat, hit a long ball, and also bowl through all three phases,” DC head coach Hemang Badani told the media.

Madhav owes his cricketing skills to former India batter Amay Khurasiya, having trained at the 54-year-old’s academy in Indore since the age of 12. As Khurasiya recounts, Madhav, whose father has a transport and logistics business, was a reluctant bowler to begin with.

“Those kids who bat well generally don’t like bowling. He was one of those kids who loved batting,” Khurasiya told The Hindu. “He never enjoyed bowling, but he somehow took my advice. I have been particular about everyone developing both the fundamental skills in the game.”

That boy. He has done it again.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came up with another sensational innings to power Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in a must-win IPL 2026 tie at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on a warm Tuesday night. His 93 off 38 balls (7×4, 10×6) helped the Royals chase down the target of 221 with five balls to spare.

A win against Mumbai Indians in their last match on Sunday (May 17, 2026) in Mumbai will take them to the playoffs. The victory against LSG in front of a full house came after three defeats in a row.

And those thousands of fans were fortunate to witness that incredible show by Sooryavanshi. It was breathtaking stuff, truly. The way he hit sixes into the stands, on either side of the wicket, was something you very rarely get to see.

There was this six over extra-cover off Prince Yadav, which he followed it up with a hit deep into the stands over mid-wicket. And before that, there was this ramp shot against the same bowler: there was a touch of genius about that stroke.

Sooryavanshi’s innings came to an end when he was caught at long- on off Mohsin Khan, who would have heaved a sigh of relief as he failed to run the batter, earlier in the over, despite having all the time in the world.

The wunderkind, however, had done his job. It was Yashasvi Jaiswal, the stand-in captain, that first provided the fireworks in Royals’ chase. He hammered a 23-ball 43 (8×4, 1×6) and put on 75 for the first wicket with Sooryanvashi, who then was involved in a 105-run association with Dhruv Jurel (53 n.o., 38b, 3×4, 3×6) that would more or less ensure Royals’ victory.

Earlier, Mitchell Marsh’s 96 (57b, 11×4, 5×6) and his opening wicket stand of 109 with fellow Australian Josh Inglis (60, 29b, 7×4, 3×6) helped LSG to 220 for five after being put in.

The visiting side failed to keep the momentum, though, and a superb final over from Jofra Archer saw it lose three wickets for an addition of five runs.

Then, that boy took centrestage. And how.

For a long period of the night, Rajasthan Royals seemed destined to bury Delhi Capitals under a massive first-innings score, until Mitchell Starc arrived to change the script entirely. With RR cruising at 160 for 2, powered by aggressive knocks from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Riyan Parag, Starc produced a devastating burst in the death overs that derailed the innings completely.

The Australian pacer reduced the Royals to 166 for 5 in the space of an over and later dismissed Dasun Shanaka to finish with four wickets, a spell that ultimately proved decisive in DC’s five-wicket win.

Starc’s game-changing performance earned glowing praise from Capitals head coach Hemang Badani, calling the 36-year-old “one of the best role models in the sport.”

“His work ethic, his preparation with his own plans, and his training are above par. I don’t even see that with a lot of the younger boys. That’s the reason why he is sustained for so long. He is always talking to the younger lads and trying to pass on the knowledge. There is immense conversation that Starkey brings to the table.”

Badani also lamented Starc’s absence for a significant portion of the season, while expressing hope that a long-term solution could eventually be worked out between franchises and national boards.

“Ideally, I want my players available from day one. Stark is probably one of the biggest players in my squad. We’ve invested in him and we know that he’s a match-winner. But there are certain things which are above my pay grade and are decided by associations and governing bodies. If Cricket Australia does not release him, which was also the case with (Josh) Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, there’s little a coach or a franchise can do about it.”

Badani also steered clear of dwelling on the “what ifs” surrounding DC’s rotating opening combinations through the season, insisting that decisions always appear simpler in hindsight.

“If you go back to 2025, our issues were up top. Our openers were Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Abhishek Porel, and K.L. Rahul. We just couldn’t figure out the right partnership. Hence, we were keen to have a proper opener with K.L., and that’s why we went to Pathum Nissanka and Ben Duckett. We were quite keen to get that partnership at the top going,” he explained.

“Pathum did give us 40s, 50s and 60s. I could be greedy and say that he could’ve given me a game of 80 or 100, but he’s not done badly. It’s now more the case of… with Abhishek Porel giving us 100 partnerships, which has happened later through the season, it might just feel that maybe we could have gone to him earlier, but it is a very easy conversation to have right now.”

As has often been the case this campaign, Badani doubled down on his opposition to the lack of home advantage on pitches at the team’s base at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. DC could only secure two victories in seven games at home this season.

“We primarily struggled at home. Add in last year, and we have four wins here from 12 games, and one of them being a Super Over. That pretty much tells you how the surface hasn’t been conducive to our style of play. We’ve many times not been able to figure out what the surface is like,” he said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s blistering 21-ball 46 laid the foundation for what looked like a towering Rajasthan Royals total, before Mitchell Starc’s fiery spell at the death dragged Delhi Capitals back into the contest.

Sooryavanshi fell to a slower delivery from Madhav Tiwari, not the first time a change of pace proved effective in dismissing the 15-year-old this season. But RR batting coach Vikram Rathour dismissed suggestions that pace variation is a glaring weakness in the youngster’s game.

“Nobody is perfect. Everybody will have some weakness here and there. I don’t think slow ball is a weakness for him. I want bowlers to try that. On a wicket like this, where the ball is gripping a bit, a change of pace is good against anybody. It’s not only Vaibhav, who is a special player. Enough has been said about his ability and how good he is,” he opined.

“He provided us with a really good start. I just hope he converts one inning and goes deeper. The way he is batting and the way he prepares, I am sure that’s not too far off. We will see one of those innings which he will really convert and play a big knock. Otherwise, we are pretty happy with the way he is batting. We want him to bat that way.”

The former India batter also stressed that T20 success does not demand a one-dimensional approach, citing Virat Kohli as proof that batters. 

“Somebody like Virat is still extremely successful, even in this format. I won’t call him an out-and-out power-hitting player. That tells you that there’s scope for everybody to succeed, provided you have belief in your abilities and can commit to whatever options you take while you are batting. Back yourself.”

“You need to identify and know your strengths. And if you back your strengths and you play to your strengths, you can score runs. Dhruv (Jurel) need not bat like Vaibhav. Vaibhav shouldn’t look to bat like Dhruv. They have their own strengths and own ways of scoring. If they keep backing that and keep believing in their ability, they can succeed easily and we’ve seen that happening.”

Rathour also clarified that Ravindra Jadeja’s absence was down to a niggle rather than workload management, contrary to skipper Riyan Parag’s remarks before the match.