Ahmedabad, April 4 (IANS) Half-centuries from wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal powered Rajasthan Royals to a commanding 210/6 in 20 overs against hosts Gujarat Titans in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, Rajasthan made full use of the batting-friendly surface with a fluent start from their opening pair against the Titans, who were led by stand-in skipper Rashid Khan as regular captain Shubman Gill missed the match due to a muscle spasm.

Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the tone early, capitalising on wayward lines from the Gujarat pacers. Sooryavanshi got going with a couple of boundaries off Mohammed Siraj, while Jaiswal punished anything overpitched with crisp drives and pulls. The duo raced to 69 without loss in the powerplay, with Jaiswal’s aggressive strokeplay complemented by Sooryavanshi’s inventive hitting.

The breakthrough finally came in the seventh over when Rashid induced a miscued pull from Sooryavanshi, who departed for a brisk 31 off 18 balls. Despite the wicket, Jaiswal continued to anchor the innings, bringing up a composed half-century off 32 balls with a stylish boundary through extra cover.

However, the left-hander’s stay ended soon after when Kagiso Rabada struck with a sharp delivery that crashed into the stumps, dismissing him for 55 off 36 balls. Rajasthan briefly lost momentum with the quick wickets of Riyan Parag and later Donovan Ferreira, but Jurel ensured the scoring rate never dipped.

The right-hander initially rotated the strike before launching a calculated assault in the final phase. He used the crease’s depth well against spin and targeted the seamers with powerful bottom-hand shots, clearing the ropes with ease. Jurel brought up a fine fifty in the 17th over and continued to dominate the death overs, including a towering six off Prasidh Krishna.

Late cameos also helped Rajasthan surge past the 200-run mark. Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with a quick 18 off eight balls before falling to a sharp catch by Siraj, while Ravindra Jadeja added useful runs in the closing overs. Jurel eventually fell in the final over to Siraj after a superb knock of 75 from 42 deliveries, which included five fours and as many sixes.

For Gujarat, Rabada was the pick of the bowlers with 2/42, while Prasidh and Rashid claimed a wicket each. Siraj finished with 1/48 despite striking in the final over.

Brief scores:

Rajasthan Royals 210/6 in 20 overs (Dhruv Jurel 75, Yashasvi Jaiswal 55; Kagiso Rabada 2-42, Ashok Sharma 1-37) against Gujarat Titans

–IANS

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