GT vs RR IPL 2026: Bishnoi & Deshpande Seal Thriller for Rajasthan

GT vs RR Post-Mortem: Bishnoi’s Masterclass and Deshpande’s Ice-Cold Final Over

If you were clutching a Gujarat Titans ticket heading into the final six balls on Saturday night, I genuinely feel your pain. GT vs RR Match 9 of the 2026 IPL at the Narendra Modi Stadium was an absolute dogfight that swung wildly from the opening delivery. Right before the coin flip, GT lost their anchor—Shubman Gill was scratched with a late muscle spasm, forcing Rashid Khan into the captain's chair. When the dust finally cleared, though, it was Riyan Parag’s Rajasthan Royals escaping with the points.

RR made the gutsy call to bat first on a greased-lightning Ahmedabad pitch, hung a massive 210/6 on the board, and survived a furious GT fightback to win by just six runs. Let’s look at exactly where the odds flipped and what GambleGrounds punters need to take away from this thriller.

Rajasthan Royals players passionately celebrate a crucial wicket in the middle overs. Ravi Bishnoi’s devastating spell of 4/41 ripped the heart out of the Gujarat Titans' batting lineup and completely flipped the live betting markets at the Narendra Modi Stadium. © BCCI/IPL

The First Innings: Jurel Goes Nuclear

Ahmedabad is basically a highway for batters, and Rajasthan exploited every inch of it. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out swinging out of their boots, throwing up a 70-run stand inside seven overs to totally kill the new ball. Sooryavanshi kept up his ridiculous form with a quick 31 off 18, while Jaiswal cruised to an effortless 55 off 36.

When Rashid Khan finally snapped the opening stand, GT probably thought they had a window to squeeze the run rate. Enter Dhruv Jurel.

Jurel didn't just shift gears; he cut the brakes. He smoked 75 off just 42 balls, hunting the short boundaries and launching five sixes into the cheap seats to completely dismantle the GT death bowlers. Kagiso Rabada (2/42) snagged a couple of late consolation wickets, but the bleeding was already fatal. RR posted a daunting 210/6, leaving Gujarat staring at massive scoreboard pressure without their star opener.

The Chase: Bishnoi’s Web & Deshpande’s Deep Freeze

Chasing 211 when your captain is stuck in the dugout is a brutal assignment, but Sai Sudharsan made it look like a walk in the park for a minute. The stylish lefty anchored the innings beautifully with a slick 73 off 44. With Jos Buttler (26 off 14) throwing early haymakers at the top of the order, GT was actually keeping the required run rate in check.

Then came the middle-order meltdown.

RR brought in leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as an impact sub, and he proceeded to rip the spine right out of Gujarat's lineup. Bishnoi bagged 4/41, picking off guys exactly when GT tried to step on the gas. His sliders and deceptive googlies were basically unreadable, completely stalling Gujarat's momentum.

Somehow, stand-in skipper Rashid Khan (24 off 16) and Rabada (23* off 16) kept the Ahmedabad crowd alive, dragging this brawl down to the wire. GT needed 10 runs off 6 balls. Parag handed the rock to Tushar Deshpande. With the game on the line, Deshpande was ice-cold, nailing his yorkers under suffocating pressure. Down to 7 needed off two balls, Rashid tried to slash a wide one, only for Jofra Archer to pull off an insane, full-extension diving catch in the deep to seal the deal.

Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans: Match 9 Scorecard

For the punters digging into the player prop markets and fantasy stats, here is the clean breakdown of the guys who actually moved the needle on Saturday night.

Rajasthan Royals (Batting)

Batter	Runs (Balls)	4s	6s	Strike Rate
Dhruv Jurel	75 (42)	5	5	178.57
Yashasvi Jaiswal	55 (36)	6	3	152.78
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	31 (18)	5	1	172.22

Gujarat Titans (Bowling)

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Kagiso Rabada	4.0	42	2	10.50
Rashid Khan	4.0	39	1	9.75

Gujarat Titans (Batting)

Batter	Runs (Balls)	4s	6s	Strike Rate
Sai Sudharsan	73 (44)	9	3	165.91
Jos Buttler	26 (14)	5	0	185.71
Rashid Khan	24 (16)	3	0	150.00

Rajasthan Royals (Bowling)

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Ravi Bishnoi	4.0	41	4	10.25
Tushar Deshpande	3.0	24	1	8.00

What you need to know from RR vs GT IPL 2026:

Q. Who took home the Player of the Match?

A. Ravi Bishnoi earned it. Coming in as an impact sub, his 4/41 triggered the middle-order collapse that completely derailed Gujarat's chase right when they were getting comfortable.

Q. Where was Shubman Gill tonight?

A. The regular GT skipper was a late scratch due to a sudden muscle spasm. Rashid Khan had to step up as captain at the eleventh hour.

Q. Just how vital was Dhruv Jurel's knock?

A. It was the ultimate difference-maker. Smashing 75 off 42 balls with 5 huge sixes turned a solid start into a 200+ monster total that proved just out of reach for GT.

Q. Who bowled that insane final over for RR?

A. Tushar Deshpande. Defending just 10 runs in the 20th over, he gave up only 3 runs and locked down the win after Jofra Archer’s spectacular diving catch.

The Final Verdict

This scrapfest proved two massive things for GambleGrounds punters.

First, do not fade the Rajasthan Royals' batting depth. Even if the top order falls early or stalls out, guys like Dhruv Jurel will punish teams at the death. Hammering RR in the "Highest Score in Last 5 Overs" market is a very sharp, data-backed play right now.

Second, Shubman Gill's sudden absence brutally exposed GT's top-order fragility under real scoreboard pressure. If Gill is forced to sit out any more games with that back issue, heavily consider shorting GT's total runs markets.

Finally, put some respect on Ravi Bishnoi’s name in the wicket-taker props. His pace and variations are an absolute nightmare for middle-order batters right now, making him a prime target for "Over 1.5 Wickets" bets moving forward.