NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals pulled off a thrilling win over Gujarat Titans in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash, with the match going right down to the final ball. Chasing a big target of 211, Gujarat kept fighting till the very end but fell just short, handing Rajasthan a narrow 6-run victory in a nail-biting finish. With this victory, Royals climbed to the top of the table. They have now garnered 4 points from 2 matches, keeping an emphatic net run rate (NRR) of +2.233.The game came down to the last over, with Tushar Deshpande given the responsibility to defend under immense pressure.
He held his nerve brilliantly. On the final delivery, Tushar Deshpande bowled to Ashok Sharma and gave away no runs. Rajasthan Royals won by 6 runs. Ashok Sharma went for a big hit on a low full toss aimed at the stumps but only managed an inside edge onto his pad, and the ball rolled away safely.As soon as the dot ball was confirmed, Rajasthan players erupted in celebration and rushed towards Deshpande, who had delivered when it mattered the most. Captain Riyan Parag also earned praise for backing Deshpande over more experienced options in such a crunch moment.
Strong total proved just enough
Earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals put up a commanding 210/6 after being asked to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave them a solid start with a well-made 55, while Dhruv Jurel played a standout knock of 75, accelerating the innings in the latter stages. Contributions from Shimron Hetmyer and others helped push the total past 200.Gujarat Titans, in response, showed great intent. Sai Sudharsan led the chase with a fluent 73, and there were useful cameos from Jos Buttler and Rashid Khan. However, regular wickets hurt their momentum, especially Ravi Bishnoi’s four-wicket haul, which kept Rajasthan in the game.Despite a late push from Kagiso Rabada and others, Gujarat couldn’t finish the job, as Rajasthan held their composure to seal a memorable and hard-fought victory.Brief Scores:Rajasthan Royals: 210 for 6 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 75, Yashasvi Jaiswal 55; Kagiso Rabada 2/42, Mohammed Siraj 1/48)Gujarat Titans: 204 for 8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 73, Jos Buttler 26; Ravi Bishnoi 4/41, Tushar Deshpande 1/24)
