The scene is set for an adrenaline-pumping "Battle of the West" as Shubman Gill leads the Gujarat Titans, hosting Riyan Parag, who inspired the Rajasthan Royals in Match 9 of IPL 2026. After a close three-wicket loss to Punjab Kings in their opener, the Titans are back at the world's largest cricket stadium in search of their first points of the season.

On the other hand, the Royals come to Ahmedabad full of confidence following an impressive eight-wicket thrashing of the Chennai Super Kings. With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi making history with his explosive entry and Jofra Archer hitting top form again, Rajasthan seems to be the team to beat. But, history strongly supports the home side, thus a tactical chess match is expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

GT vs RR: IPL 2026 Match 9 Details

Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Report

The surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium is widely regarded as a haven for stroke makers. Historically, the average first innings score at this venue is approximately 178, but winning totals often exceed 190. While the track offers consistent bounce for pacers like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, the flat nature of the pitch favours aggressive batting. Expect a high-scoring encounter where the toss might play a crucial role, as the dew factor often assists the team chasing in the second innings.

DC vs RR Predicted XIs: IPL 2026

Gujarat Titans (GT) Predicted XI:

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
(Impact Player options: Rahul Tewatia, Sai Kishore)

Rajasthan Royals (RR) Predicted XI:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma.
(Impact Player options: Shubham Dubey, Kuldeep Sen)

Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Match 9, IPL 2026: Who Will Win Today?

Although the Gujarat Titans have a very powerful bowling unit that includes Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna, their batting line-up - Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan at the top - must perform to make up for the sluggish start. Whereas the Rajasthan Royals look quite balanced with their openers, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both in great form. Based on Google Sports Data, the likelihood of winning is almost evenly divided, giving Rajasthan Royals a small advantage of 50. 4% over the Gujarat Titans, who have 49. 6%. Considering the Royals' recent performance and also the explosive batting line-up of Ravindra Jadeja and Shimron Hetmyer, the Royals are most likely to extend their winning run.