GT vs RR Prediction, Analysis, Dream11- IPL 2026 Match 9

Indian Premier League 2026 — Match 9 — Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Date & Time: April 4, 2026 — 7:30 PM IST | 2:00 PM GMT | 7:30 PM Local

Overview — The Ahmedabad Homecoming

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosts its first IPL 2026 match — and according to sources, this is the first game at the ground after India beat New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final played at this very venue.

The stadium, the world’s largest cricket ground (capacity 132,000), returns to IPL action with two teams carrying contrasting emotions.

Gujarat Titans — licking their wounds after losing their opener to PBKS in M4 (162/6 not defended, Cooper Connolly 72* won the match for Punjab). The home crowd at the NMO Stadium will be desperate to lift Gill’s team.

Rajasthan Royals — on a high after dismissing CSK for 127 and chasing it down in 12 overs (8 wkts). Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 52 in 17 balls — the 15-year-old’s T20 fireworks — has made him the story of IPL 2026’s opening days.

RR M3 vs CSK — Deep Analysis

RR’s win over CSK was comprehensive and tells a powerful story about their squad:

Bowling: Jofra Archer + Nandre Burger (2 wickets each) + Ravindra Jadeja (2 wickets on CSK return) restricted a Dhoni-less CSK to just 127 in 20 overs. The seam duo and Jadeja’s spin combined to create sustained pressure across the full innings.

Batting: Sooryavanshi’s 52 in 17 balls (fastest half-century of his young career, 2nd fastest in IPL history for his age group) set the tone for a chase that was completed with 48 balls remaining. Yashasvi Jaiswal (mature, patient) provided the perfect foil to Sooryavanshi’s carnage.

The Sooryavanshi phenomenon: He has now played in IPL 2025 at 13 years old (250+ runs at SR ~200, including a century) and is 15 in IPL 2026. He also hit 101 off 38 balls against GT in his last encounter with them. GT’s pace attack — specifically Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj — will be very aware of this.

GT M4 vs PBKS — Deep Analysis

GT’s loss to PBKS was painful. They posted a competitive 162/6 — Gill top-scored with 39, Buttler contributed 38 — but Cooper Connolly’s debut 72* on a slow pitch for PBKS saw them home with 5 balls to spare. Prasidh Krishna (3/29) was GT’s standout bowler but couldn’t defend the total.

GT’s key problem: Their death-overs batting is a recurring concern. Neither Tewatia nor Shahrukh can reliably accelerate in the 16-20 over window against quality bowling. Their total of 162 was about 15-20 runs short of what they should have posted on that Mullanpur surface.

GT Probable XI

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder / Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj Impact Sub: Ashok Sharma / R Sai Kishore

GT’s strengths for M9:

Home crowd at NMO Stadium — the largest cricket stadium in the world, which GT inaugurated as their home in 2022 when they won the title
Gill’s home form: He has scored consistently at NMO. His motivation after being overlooked for India’s T20 World Cup remains a powerful driving force
Rashid Khan on his home surface: Rashid’s leg-spin is most effective on a slow Ahmedabad pitch. His 2022 title-winning contribution at this ground is legendary

RR Probable XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger Impact Sub: Sandeep Sharma / Adam Milne

RR’s strengths for M9:

Excellent form and squad balance: Archer + Burger (pace), Jadeja + Bishnoi (spin) is an exceptional four-bowler setup
Sooryavanshi’s history against GT — scored 101 off 38 balls vs GT last season. GT’s pace bowlers know this and will have specific plans
Jaiswal’s consistency provides the platform for Sooryavanshi’s destruction
Jadeja on an Ahmedabad surface (which turns in the second half) is dangerous for any batting lineup

Venue Analysis — Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

The Narendra Modi Stadium is cricket’s most iconic modern ground:

Capacity: 132,000 — the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Used for the 2026 T20 World Cup Final (India vs New Zealand, India won) — the pitch will have been used at the highest level recently.
Pitch characteristics: The Ahmedabad pitch has been a batting paradise in day games but historically a spinner’s paradise under evening lights. The clay-based surface tends to get lower and slower as the day progresses, making the second innings potentially more challenging to bat in.
Average score: In recent IPL matches at NMO — approximately 175-185 first innings. 200+ is possible, but boundary sizes (the square boundaries are longer than most IPL venues) make six-hitting harder.
The T20 WC 2026 final was played here — the pitch may still carry some history from that high-profile match.

Note on GT’s home advantage: GT have historically been very strong at this ground, winning 6 of 8 previous matches vs RR (including the 2022 final). The NMO surface suits Rashid Khan’s leg-spin better than almost any other IPL venue.

Head-to-Head Record — GT vs RR

Overall	8 matches
GT wins	6
RR wins	2

GT won the 2022 IPL final at this very NMO Stadium — a 7-wicket victory that launched the franchise into cricket’s consciousness.
RR won the most recent meeting (April 2025) — Sooryavanshi’s famous century (101 off 38) was the decisive factor.
Sooryavanshi has made history against GT — a deeply relevant data point for tonight’s match.

Jofra Archer vs Shubman Gill: One of the defining player matchups in this fixture. According to data, Archer has dismissed Gill three times in just 19 balls — Gill has scored only 16 runs off Archer. For GT’s captain, conquering Archer’s short-pitch bowling is a psychological imperative tonight.

Key Player Battles

Jofra Archer vs Shubman Gill: The most important battle of the match. Archer dismissed Gill in 19 balls (3 dismissals) across their IPL head-to-head. Gill has averaged barely 5 against Archer. For GT, if Gill falls early to Archer again, their batting collapses. For RR, if Archer removes Gill in the first 4 overs, the game changes dramatically.

Rashid Khan vs Yashasvi Jaiswal: Jaiswal’s ability to read and attack world-class leg-spin will be tested. Rashid has limited Jaiswal in their previous encounters. On the slow Ahmedabad surface, Rashid’s turn and bounce could be the decisive over-sequence in the 8th-12th over range.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Kagiso Rabada: The 15-year-old phenomenon vs South Africa’s express pace bowler. Sooryavanshi’s technique against raw pace is extraordinary for his age — but Rabada’s 140+ km/h deliveries on the Ahmedabad bounce-and-carry surface will test even his exceptional instincts.

Ravindra Jadeja vs Shubman Gill (if batting second): Jadeja’s left-arm spin on a deteriorating Ahmedabad surface in overs 10-15 could be decisive. Gill has historically been susceptible to high-quality left-arm spin, particularly when the pitch assists.

Predicted Winner: Rajasthan Royals (56%)

Why RR:

Explosive form (8-wkt win vs CSK), Sooryavanshi phenomenon
Archer’s dominance over Gill (3 dismissals in 19 balls) is a structural advantage
Jadeja on an Ahmedabad spinning surface is devastating
RR have won the last H2H in April 2025

Why GT could win:

Home ground (NMO Stadium) — 6W from 8 H2H at home
Rashid Khan on the Ahmedabad surface — his leg-spin is most effective here
Gill’s motivation to conquer Archer once and for all
GT retain 20 players from last year — settled, experienced squad

Dream11 Best XI

Captain: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) — Scored 52/17 in M3, 101/38 vs GT last season. The most explosive player in this match has the highest individual ceiling. Vice-Captain: Rashid Khan (GT) — Home ground, Ahmedabad turning surface, elite economy and wicket-taking combined. Differential: Donovan Ferreira (RR) — The South African all-rounder provides middle-order stability. If Sooryavanshi sets the platform and Ferreira finishes, RR post 200+. Most users will pick Hetmyer or Jadeja from RR’s lower order.

Suggested Team:

WK: Jos Buttler, Dhruv Jurel
Batters: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar
Bowlers: Rashid Khan (VC), Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada

RR:GT ratio — 6:5

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