Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal supported his team’s struggling bowling unit after a 77-run loss to the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. The defeat came as Gujarat posted a formidable 229/4, led by a strong opening partnership between Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, followed by Rashid Khan’s impactful four-wicket haul.
Jaiswal acknowledged the challenge posed by Gujarat’s settled openers, noting Rajasthan’s difficulty in restricting boundaries. Despite the pressure, Rajasthan’s pace attack, including Jofra Archer, failed to consistently trouble the opposition on a batting-friendly pitch in Jaipur.
While Archer had an off day, going wicketless and conceding runs, Jaiswal stood by him, emphasizing that such performances are part of the game. The team’s decision to exclude Nandre Burger from the bowling lineup was based on strategic considerations for the powerplay, according to Jaiswal.
Despite a brief resurgence in the chase, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel’s aggressive batting, Rajasthan faltered against Gujarat’s spinners. Rashid Khan’s crucial wickets derailed Rajasthan’s chase, leading to a collapse from 78/3 to 152 all out.
Looking ahead, Jaiswal focused on learning from the defeat and preparing for the next match, aiming to bounce back quickly. The loss impacted Rajasthan’s net run rate significantly, while Gujarat’s comprehensive performance bolstered their playoff prospects.
