Jaipur: Gujarat Titans (GT), riding high on the unstoppable form of Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan, will look to extend their dominance over Rajasthan Royals when the two teams clash in Match 47 of IPL 2025 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Monday.
While Gujarat have won six of their seven encounters against Rajasthan — including a 58-run thrashing earlier this season — RR are battling a desperate slump, having lost five matches on the trot since April 5, often crumbling under pressure during crucial phases. With Sudharsan leading the charts at 417 runs in nine games and Gujarat’s bowlers firing collectively, they start clear favourites against a Rajasthan unit struggling to stay afloat.
Gujarat, currently at the top of the table with six wins from eight outings, have stitched together a well-rounded unit with contributions across departments. Sudharsan’s blazing form has been complemented by skipper Shubman Gill (305 runs at a strike rate of 153.26) and the experienced Jos Buttler, making Gujarat’s top order one of the most formidable in the tournament.
In the bowling department, the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna has delivered consistently, accounting for 28 wickets between them. Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, meanwhile, has tightened the screws in the middle overs, conceding at just 8.22 runs an over. With Rashid Khan beginning to find rhythm again, Gujarat’s bowling attack looks well-equipped to exploit the conditions at Jaipur, where the pitch has offered consistent bounce but tends to ease out under lights.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, find themselves in dire straits. With just two wins from nine matches, RR campaign has veered completely off course. Despite the best efforts of Yashasvi Jaiswal (356 runs at 39.66), Rajasthan’s batting unit has failed to fire collectively. Skipper Riyan Parag has struggled to convert starts, while the likes of Shimron Hetmyer and Nitish Rana have been largely inconsistent.
On the bowling front, the burden has fallen squarely on Jofra Archer’s shoulders. While the English pacer has picked up nine wickets, Rajasthan’s attack has leaked runs at crucial junctures, with the spin department proving particularly unreliable. Changes such as bringing in Fazalhaq Farooqi have had little impact, and RR's inability to close out games has been a recurring theme this season.
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium has typically favoured chasing sides, with 38 of 60 domestic T20 matches here being won by the team batting second. The average first innings score at the venue this season has hovered around 175, suggesting that a total in excess of 190 would be necessary for the team batting first to feel safe.
With the Royals low on confidence and Gujarat Titans brimming with momentum, the visitors will back themselves to keep their winning run going. Rajasthan, meanwhile, have little choice but to summon their fighting spirit and play for pride as the race for the playoffs slips further out of reach.
