Shubman Gill vs Jofra Archer will be one of the key battles in Gujarat Titans’ upcoming IPL 2026 fixture vs Rajasthan Royals, in Ahmedabad on Saturday. GT lost to Punjab Kings in their opener and will be looking to get a win. Meanwhile, RR will look to build on a winning streak, having beaten Chennai Super Kings in their campaign opener.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan’s opening partnership will be key for GT, especially as the pair failed to build a stand against PBKS. Sudharsan was dismissed for 13 off 11 balls. Meanwhile, Gill departed for 39 off 27 deliveries.
Shubman Gill’s IPL record vs Jofra Archer
RR skipper Riyan Parag will be expected to use Jofra Archer against Gill, considering his IPL record against the English pacer. In six IPL innings, Gill has managed only 16 runs at an average of 5.33 and an 84.21 strike rate. He has also been dismissed by Archer three times.
RR are in a new era, with the departure of former skipper Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper-batter was traded to Chennai Super Kings ahead of the auction for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. Curran has been ruled out of the season due to an injury. Meanwhile, Parag has been given the captaincy role.
Gill’s captaincy in their season opener was criticised by some fans and experts. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra questioned the team selection and batting order. Speaking on Jio Hotstar, he said, “They have continued with Shahrukh Khan, but I felt Kumar Kushagra also had a case for selection. GT need to rethink how their Nos. 4, 5 and 6 are structured.”
“Even the bowling plans were puzzling. Mohammed Siraj still had two overs left when the game was almost done, and Prasidh Krishna was introduced quite late. Overall, Shubman Gill’s captaincy left a bit to be desired.”
GT will also be hoping for No. 3 batter Jos Buttler to find some form. In the opener, he registered 38 off 33 balls. He also had a poor T20 World Cup campaign, managing only 87 runs in eight innings. Speaking ahead of the match, GT assistant coach Aashish Kapoor backed the Englishman to find momentum.
“He’s a top player, and there’s no doubt about it. I don’t think you people doubt that either. Yeah, he had a bad 1–1.5 months, which can happen to any player, and has happened to most top-class players, including Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who had such patches. But these players always come back,” he said.
“Now, he must be really eager because such players have great pride in themselves to do well. You could see the way he batted in the last match as well, trying to apply himself and wanting to make a statement that he’s back in form. It’s a matter of one inning for such players to return to form, and I think he’s on the right path, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” he added.
